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Glasgow Subway under threat amid £20m loss during coronavirus crisis


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SPT says that 'maintaining services is simply not viable' if it does not receive financial support from the government to offset the huge losses

 

 

Glasgow Subway could be under threat if SPT doesn't receive financial help from the government to offset losses of up to £20m as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Passenger journeys have fallen by 97% on the Subway in recent months, but SPT has continued to operate Subway services and maintain 'strategically necessary' bus services to allow key workers to continue to travel to and from work.

 

Yet, according to SPT, they have done so without any financial support or help to replace passenger related income lost from the Subway or from its bus stations - despite calling on Transport Scotland for help to address the financial gap since March.

 

As a result, SPT says that depending on how much longer lockdown and distancing restrictions need to remain in place, it could be looking at losses of between £12.5m and £20m for the current financial year.

 

SPT Chair Councillor Dr Martin Bartos said: “Not a day has gone by when the Subway hasn’t operated and we’ve followed government’s lead on doing so safely for staff and passengers. Responding to Covid-19 has had a profound impact on all parts of SPT, and undoubtedly will continue to do so for some time to come.

 

“Most of our revenue comes from Subway income which is directly related to passenger numbers. The situation was highlighted to Transport Scotland as early as March 30 by which time we’d already experienced a 97% fall in passenger journeys on the Subway (in line with what commercial bus, rail and other transport operators had experienced).

 

“Unfortunately we’ve seen not a penny in Covid-19 support come to SPT to help either our bus or Subway efforts.

“We’ve been left without the slightest indication from Transport Scotland or the Cabinet Secretary about when SPT might see any actual financial support which recognises the huge losses incurred as our staff have done their bit.”

 

SPT is to meet tomorrow (June 26) to discuss its financial stability, having set out the challenges they have faced and the financial costs they have had to meet in a paper due to go to its Partnership Committee.

 

The report states that: "Without financial support from government to offset the lost income, maintaining services is simply not viable".

It also states that within the first 12 weeks of lockdown, SPT highlighted a potential deficit of between £5.6 million and £9 million to Transport Scotland.

 

However, in response to fears that the Subway could face long term issues, SPT chair Martin Bartos added: "Closing the Subway is not an option on the table. 

"Given the investment the Government and SPT has put into Subway modernisation, and the work that has been done to upgrade and the system, the rollout of modernisation will continue.

 

“The aim of the Partnership paper is to look at ways we can ensure the future for Subway and all SPT services. Transport Scotland has stepped in to fund other transport modes and is well aware of our need for support.”

In response, A Transport Scotland spokesperson said:“The Scottish Government is providing financial support for public transport to maintain essential services.

 

"This is intended to offset the impact that reduced demand is having on the viability of local services, to maintain services for key workers and protect the industry for the future.

"We continue to monitor travel patterns across the country as we emerge from lockdown measures and work closely with local and regional partners as we do this.

 

“We appreciate the important role which the subway and trams play in our two biggest cities and have undertaken detailed discussions with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Edinburgh Trams to understand the implications of Covid-19 on their operations.

"We are currently exploring what appropriate support may be available in the context of the very challenging financial situation, our published Covid-19: Framework for Decision Making and the Transport Transition Plan.”

To read the SPT's Financial Implications of COVID-19 report, click HERE

 

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-subway-could-close-amid-18483812

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  • 2 weeks later...

One of my family recently returned from Sweden after three months. The deal is you have to fill out a Govt form with your UK residence details and internal travel plans to get there, with the obligation to present it to the authorities on entering the UK. In actual fact no one took that information from him when it was offered and he was waved through immigration without the slightest hindrance. So exactly what information is Jeane Freeman talking about? 

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