Bus Service 514 – Dargavel to Braehead
Renfrewshire Council · 27 August 2025
Back to Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board — 27 August 2025 and its agenda
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To: Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board On: 27 August 2025 Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Heading: Bus Service 514 – Dargavel to Braehead 1. Summary 1.1 As part of the Section 75 agreement between BAE and Renfrewshire Council, BAE was responsible for providing £350,000 in funding for the delivery of a bus service. 1.2 Prior to the commencement of this service in April 2024, officers from the Council and SPT had put forward options for services which would connect Dargavel and Bishopton with services in Erskine that would then have onward travel options for Braehead. 1.3 Engagement sessions were hosted with community representatives with feedback being these options were not favoured by the community and they would require a direct service to Braehead. 1.4 Officers revised the options to develop one with a direct route. At the time it was highlighted that whilst the previous options could be delivered for a period of 3 years within the £350,000 funding envelope, it was unlikely that a direct route could be delivered for 3 years with that funding. 1.5 The 514 Service came into operation on 14 April 2024 and a summary of service performance is outlined at section 3 of the report below. 1.6 As a result of low patronage numbers with the current service provision the service will be due to cease operation at the end of January 2026. 1.7 Officers from SPT and the Council have held discussions about what alterations could be made to the route to prolong the length of time the service is operating and the options are set out at section 6 below.
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2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board: 2.1. Notes the Service 514 will cease operation on 31 January 2026 unless alternative routing or timetable options are explored, and 2.2. Agrees that officers from SPT and the Council will develop a proposal to maximise the duration that the service 514 can continue within the existing agreed funding envelope. 3. Background 3.1 Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is the regional transport authority which manages bus provision across 12 local authorities in the west of Scotland, including Renfrewshire. 3.2 The deregulated bus market operates ca. 90% of all registered local bus mileage in the west of Scotland, determining matters of route, fares and days of operation. SPT, on behalf of the 12 local authorities, let contracts to private operators through tendered processes for ca. 200 local bus services which are not commercially viable but deemed socially necessary and in line with their framework for supporting local bus services. 3.3 The bus service 514 came into operation on 14th April 2024 with a defined end date of 10th April 2027 or whenever the section 75 funding of £350,000 had been utilised after the service was tendered with the service being carried out by McGills. 3.4 Officers from SPT have been in discussion with Council officers in relation to the performance and viability of the service continuing in its present format. Should there be no changes to the service it is anticipated that the service will utilise the available funding of £350,000 by the end of January 2026. 4. Financial Implications 4.1 The service started on 14th April 2024 and to the 31 March 2025 had drawn down £193,474 of the £350,000 available, whilst during that period taking in £46,171 in income.
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4.2 Based on the weekly operating costs of around £4,300 and average income of £700 the service would likely require to conclude around the end of January 2026. 4.3 There are a number of options which exist in relation to the delivery of the service 514 • No action or changes to service provision (service ends 31st January) • Remove low / lower use journeys (pro-rata reduction to operating cost) • Reduce operating days (pro-rata reduction to operating cost), and • Suspend service and reallocate funding. 5. Current Service Performance 5.1 The review period for service performance was April 2024 to the end of June 2025, giving a total of 66 operational weeks of service. During that time the service 514 has been used by 26,398 passengers, at an average of 400 passengers per week or 57 passengers per day. 5.2 A focussed 12 week review of data has also been carried out from the period January 2025 – end of June 2025, avoiding periods like school and public holidays to provide as representative a sample as possible. 5.3 This 12 week sample has highlighted that there were 4,524 passengers over this time, at an average of 377 passengers per week, or 53 passengers per day, which is broadly in line with the total service statistics outlined at section 5.1 above. 5.4 The service currently operates on a Monday to Sunday basis with a slightly later start time and earlier finishing time on a Sunday. 5.5 SPT has also reviewed notifications from McGills in relation to service disruption and in the period January 2025 to end June 2025 there were 21 recorded service disruptions due to a number of factors including roadworks, police incidents or vehicle breakdowns affecting the service timetable. 5.6 The demographic of the passengers is shown in the figure on the next page.
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5.7 Officers from SPT have reviewed the service performance, particularly patronage numbers and have highlighted below a number of journeys where the passenger numbers are exceptionally low which does not make the route a commercially viable operation in its present form. 5.8 The journeys highlighted in red above are where a journey has been carried out with an average of less than 3 passengers per journey. The peak busy period for the route is consistently the afternoon and early evening of Saturdays.
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6. Future Service Delivery 6.1 As outlined at section 4.3 above there are a number of options currently being considered to extend the duration of the 514 service, including; • No action or changes to service provision o Taking no proactive action will result in the service concluding at the end of January 2026. • Remove low / lower use journeys (pro-rata reduction to operating cost) o There are opportunities to review the low patronage journeys to engage with McGills over how this would impact the longevity of the service beyond January 2026. • Reduce operating days (pro-rata reduction to operating cost) o Removal of the Sunday service could allow further extension of the route beyond the anticipated timeline • Suspend service and reallocate funding o The funding could be allocated elsewhere, however this is not considered a viable option in light of the specific requirements of the section 75 agreement with BAE. 6.2 Council officers will engage with local ward members and community representatives in the coming weeks in advance of changes being made to ensure the issue is raised in the community and will work jointly with SPT on communications and marketing of the route to raise the profile of the service. 7. Long Term Solution 7.1 In addition to assessing the options for extending the duration the route will run for, consideration is being given to what the permanent solution for public transport on the route will be, given that it is currently proving not to be a commercially viable route. 7.2 The figure below shows the alternative public transport options that exist in the surrounding area and consideration will be given as to how the current service can link with these existing services so that a permanent public transport solution can be delivered.
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Implications of this Report 1. Financial –There are no costs to the Council as a result of any proposals in the report. 2. HR and Organisational Development – none 3. Community Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving / Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – Finding an alternative solution for the route will assist public transport arrangements for local communities. 4. Legal – none 5. Property/Assets – none 6. Information Technology – none 7. Equality & Human Rights - The recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health and Safety – None. 9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk – none. 11. Privacy Impact – none. 12. Climate Risk – reducing private car journeys with effective public transport systems has a positive impact on the climate agenda. 13. Children’s Rights - This report demonstrates compliance with Article 6 (life, survival and development) and Article 24 (health, water, food, environment) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 14. CoSLA Policy Position – N/A List of Background Papers - none Author Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure e-mail: gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk