SHOUT Glasgow – September 2013

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Issue 2 Autumn 2013 www.firstglasgow.com

SH UT MORE BUSES ON KEY ROUTES

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News from

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Glasgow

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CUSTOMERS are being kept informed about the benefits of First Glasgow’s simpliCITY initiative in the wake of its successful launch.

Following the smooth roll-out of the revamped services various marketing activities are underway to highlight the increased frequencies on key routes.

More than 600,000 corridor guides are being distributed direct to homes in Glasgow, telling people about the ways in which routes and services have been improved.

The guides contain money-off vouchers to encourage new customers to use the improved services.

Meanwhile promotional bus adverts are being fitted to the back of more than 300 buses promoting key aspects of the new network. In addition newspaper adverts are showcasing the best-value tickets customers can buy.

John Elliot, First Glasgow’s Commercial Manager, said: “We were pleased at how smoothly the launch went and this was due to the effort that went into ensuring existing customers knew all about the changes.

“We are now embarking on various post-launch activities to highlight the benefits of the simpliCITY network which makes it easier for customers to get around Glasgow, with buses running every 10 minutes or better during the day.”

Every part of the new network has been designed with customers in mind, from the new leather seating and free WiFi on the buses to the renumbering which makes services easier to understand.

The final phase of First Glasgow’s new bus delivery is nearly complete and this means 151 new buses will have been delivered in the last year.

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It’s The One that customers want CENTRE PAGES

HIGH FREQUENCY BUSES:

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First Glasgow Network Planning Manager Chris Carberry monitors city centre services on the simpliCITY network.

Airport Shuttle is simply the best FLY TO PAGE THREE

For network updates

twitter@FirstinGlasgow or visit www.facebook.com/FirstGlasgow

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2

Autumn 2013

GREAT VALUE OFFERS TICKET offers are providing great value to passengers taking the bus in Glasgow this autumn.

While fuel prices continue to increase, people can reduce their travel costs by catching the bus and leaving the car at home.

As well as avoiding high prices at the pumps, bus passengers also save money through not having to pay car parking charges. The Glasgow City First4Week offers savings of £15 compared to last year with a £38 ticket that allows unlimited

journeys for four consecutive weeks – one handy ticket can be used to commute, socialise or shop. And since the launch of the First Glasgow’s new simpliCITY network, it is now easier and more convenient than ever for residents to get around.

Corridor guides explaining the changes have gone out to 600,000 homes in Glasgow and residents who receive them through their doors can take advantage of £1 off the price of a FirstDay ticket allowing them unlimited travel all day for just £3.

BARGAIN BUY: Danny McGibbon,

Controller at Scotstoun depot, with a FirstWeek ticket.

Elaine Magee, First Glasgow’s Marketing Manager, said: “Catching the bus can be a much cheaper alternative to driving – and travelling in Glasgow is remarkably cost effective. We have a wide range of tickets to

suit customers’ needs including the First4Week ticket, which brings travel on our buses down to just £9.50 a week and compares quite favourably to the cost of running a car over the same amount of time.”

Campaign shows company’s zero tolerance to antisocial behaviour

HARD-HITTING CAMPAIGN: First Glasgow Security Manager Alan Pert with one of the bus interior posters which are part of the campaign to deter antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

A hard-hitting advertising campaign has been launched to deter antisocial behaviour and vandalism on First’s buses in Glasgow.

Strongly-worded posters, fitted to interiors, have been designed to assure bus users that the company adopts a zero tolerance approach to any form of antisocial behaviour.

The initiative follows a court order banning a teenage vandal from travelling on First buses throughout Scotland for life after he damaged 26 windows. The 17-year-old was also

given a 200-hour community payback order and the bus company awarded £10,000 damages.

The graphic used in the advert includes the Daily Record’s attention-grabbing front page headline relating to the story.

It says “Off The Buses – Firm’s Victory Makes Legal History.”

First Glasgow Security Manager Alan Pert said: “We take pride in our fleet and in delivering excellent customer service. The safety and security of our customers is our number one priority and we have a zero

Support for blind and partially sighted customers SPECIAL training is being rolled out to First Glasgow drivers to help them better support blind and partially sighted customers.

First Bus has been working closely with leading charity Guide Dogs on the bespoke package called My Guide.

It encourages drivers to either verbally guide or physically assist customers with sight problems to their seats and urges them to alert customers when their stop is approaching.

During training, drivers will use blackout goggles to help them understand the problems a visually impaired person experiences when using a bus.

Glasgow plans to link the specialist sessions in with the statutory CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) annual training, also being introduced this year.

First Glasgow Training Manager Stuart Kennedy said: “My team has been through the training to deliver the programme for blind and partially sighted customers.They think it’s a fantastic course and it should be well received during CPC training when we roll it out to all drivers.

“It’s extremely important that they understand how to help visually impaired customers and we will follow it up with ongoing assessments of how drivers are performing.”

For network updates

First Glasgow single fares start at £1.20 for a short hop and return travel in the city is available from only £3.

FirstWeek tickets – valid for seven consecutive days – also provide great value for money.

IMPROVING AWARENESS: Driver

Jimmy Lillis wears blackout goggles as part of his training to better support blind and partially sighted customers.

tolerance approach to any kind of antisocial behaviour affecting our customers and staff.”

He added: “We have a close working relationship with Police Scotland and we will prosecute anyone found damaging our vehicles.

“CCTV is fitted to our buses and is helping to significantly reduce the number of incidents.

“Our new anti-vandalism campaign assures our customers that we do everything we can to deter antisocial behaviour and if something does happen we will deal with it accordingly.”

Fundraising boost for charity walk CHILDREN with cystic fibrosis have received a fundraising boost after First Glasgow stepped in to sponsor an intrepid charity walk in Africa.

The company donated £1,000 towards Police Constable William Crowe’s trek to the top of Mount Toubkal in Morocco – the highest mountain in North Africa.

PC Crowe was able to raise £5,000 in total for the Butterfly Trust, a registered Scottish charity that supports children and young people with cystic fibrosis.

twitter@FirstinGlasgow or visit www.facebook.com/FirstGlasgow

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Autumn 2013

SIMPLY THE BEST: Proudly showing the prestigious Best Bus Service trophy and certificates are Airport Shuttle Drivers, left to right, Sam Corrie, Paul Connelly and Derek McGhee with John McArthur in the cab.

Download the app for your chance to

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10weeks

FREE BUS TRAVEL

AIRPORT SHUTTLE WINS TOP AWARD

FIRST Glasgow’s round-the-clock Airport Shuttle has received a top accolade.

The Shuttle, which transports passengers from the city centre to the airport terminal every 10 minutes at peak times, picked up the prestigious Best Bus Service prize at the Scottish Transport Awards. The judges said that the 24-hours-a-day Shuttle's 99.95 per cent reliability was one of the key reasons for its success.

John Elliot, Commercial Manager of First Glasgow, said: “The Glasgow Airport Shuttle is one of our flagship services and I'm delighted it won the Best Bus Service award.

“Since we started operating the Shuttle in 2011 we have invested a lot to improve the service and make it more attractive for customers. The leather seats and complementary WiFi have proved very popular as has the

journey time. It takes our service just 15 minutes to get to the airport – just as quick as a taxi.

“We’ve also introduced a new group ticket which allows four customers to travel for the price of three and, in a new initiative, those customers purchasing a day ticket on the Shuttle can connect to the rest of First Glasgow’s network free of charge.”

A team of dedicated drivers work on the Shuttle, some of them splitting their time between driving and acting as supervisors on board. “It is thanks to their commitment and determination to provide a first rate service that the service has won this important award,” added Mr Elliot.

The Airport Shuttle operates 364 days a year – every day but Christmas Day – between the city centre and Glasgow International Airport.

Welcome to

FLYING HIGH: Driver Sam Corrie at Glasgow International Airport with one of the award-winning Shuttle buses.

Scan the photo to see more...

WIN 10 weeks FREE unlimited travel throughout the Glasgow network in our fun competition which get First customers started on accessing bonus video content in this issue of Shout newspaper.

To enter all you have to do is to answer a question – the answer to which can be found by listening to the Augmented Reality video about the Airport Shuttle service on this page.

To access the bonus video content using a smartphone or tablet, simply follow the three easy steps shown in the panel at the foot of the page to download the First Scotland AR app and scan the trigger image. The video will reveal the answer to the following question.

Q. How many drivers are there on the award-winning Airport Shuttle Service?

Send your answer by post along with your name, address and day time telephone number to: Shout competition, c/o Elaine Magee, Marketing Manager, First Glasgow, 179 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 7AD Alternatively, you can email your entry to Elaine giving the email subject as Shout competition: elaine.magee@firstgroup.com The deadline for entries is Friday November 22.

The winner will receive a Network First10Week ticket worth £148 – although it is on special offer at the moment for a bargain £117.

The great value all-week ticket permits unlimited bus journeys on the Glasgow network for 10 consecutive weeks – to commute, socialise or shop with one handy ticket.

Scotland Augmented Reality (AR)

By downloading a free app on to your smartphone or tablet you can bring the photograph above to life using the power of a new technology called Augmented Reality (AR).

To access bonus content on this page simply follow the easy 1-2-3 steps:

1

2

Download the First Scotland AR app from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android).

3

Open the app with a simple tap.

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Scan the photo where you see this icon on pages one, three, four and five.

Point your device at the photo above and the photos on the centre pages where you see the AR content logo pictured above – and wait for the surprise. Double tap for a full-screen image.

Augmented reality services by

For information about

services

visit www.firstgroup.com/simplicity

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Autumn 2013

Autumn 2013

REGULAR AND RELIABLE:

A bus on The One service travels over the River Leven on Old Dumbarton Bridge.

Scan the photo to see more...

Scan the photo to see more...

Scan Pretty Penny to find out more about the BusyBodies.

BusyBodies website makes bus travel more fun for children THEY’RE already making themselves busy on buses across Glasgow and beyond, giving out important information about timetables, fares and WiFi. Now First’s lovable cartoon characters the BusyBodies have a family-friendly website all to themselves.

In an initiative designed to make bus travel more enjoyable for children, the bus company has launched www.firstgroup.com/ busybodies.

The site features games, puzzles, family-friendly places to visit and tips on how to travel safely.

Visitors to the website are greeted with the phrase “Meet the BusyBodies, your new buddies,” together with details of how the 14 cartoon characters are promoting a range of services.

Pen-portraits are supplied to introduce the cartoon ambassadors which have cute names like Pretty Penny, Zomigod, Tikkit and Neenaw.

For example, the BusyBody called Brite is described as an

k Piggy & Bak

ENGINEERING

EXCELLENCE: Engineer Chris Taylor works on an eco-friendly engine.

THE MANY THAT MAKE THE ONE WORK FOR ALL

Tikkit ambassador for student travel, who “likes” noodles and “dislikes” cold beans.

Games for youngsters on the website include Spot the Difference, a colouring-in activity and a wordsearch.

The Great Days Out section suggests family-friendly places to visit in Greater Glasgow, Central Scotland, East Lothian, Borders, City of Edinburgh and Midlothian and Aberdeen.

A “Stay Safe” page reminds bus users not to press emergency buttons, run on the bus or distract the driver.

In conjunction with the website launch, First has also produced BusyBody trump-style playing cards which can be won by customers.

First Glasgow Public Relations Manager Emma Latimer said: “We wanted to add some excitement and colour to journeys across the city. This is a great way for younger children to learn a little about bus travel.

“The website and the BusyBody cards are part of our aim to encourage more families to use our service.”

SPICK AND SPAN: Susan Williamson is one of a tea m of cleaners at Dumbarton who ensure The One service buses are kept clean and presentable.

Hardworking team ensure it’s The One that customers want

W

HEN it comes to running First Glasgow’s The One service, a hardworking team operate behind the scenes to make sure passengers have the best possible journey.

Most of Dumbarton’s 93 drivers spend the majority of their time behind the wheel on a route that is part of The One, and some of them are becoming familiar faces for regular passengers.

Back at the depot, two drivers volunteer as ‘route reps’ to take feedback about problems that need to be addressed on any part of The One. But other staff share the responsibility of keeping the service on the road and, along with some drivers, their faces will soon be appearing on the back of buses as part of a campaign to introduce the service superstars to customers.

CLOSE TEAM

SERVICE WITH A SMILE:

Smash

Brite

For network updates

Andy Miller and the other drivers are committed to ensuring a reliable and comfortable travel experience for customers.

Operations Manager Willie Toye said: “We are a small but very close team and everyone plays an important part whether that is driving, cleaning, maintaining or planning. The One is the depot’s main service and a lot of hard work goes into making sure it runs smoothly.

“The customer is at the forefront of everything we do and the message to staff is always to gel as a team to make sure the service we provide is top-notch.”

Controllers work with drivers and the engineering team to make sure the buses go out on time each morning.

Engineering Supervisor Craig

IDENTICAL TWINS John, left, and Peter Douglas who helped promote The One service.

Head of Network Services David Robertson, left, and Network Planner Chris Hampson are part of a team who plan the services.

Campbell said: “Our work also involves inspections, servicing, preparing vehicles for MOTs and diagnosing faults. Our main focus is making sure our vehicles are in the best condition and any servicing is right the first time.

“We do everything we can to make sure our buses are running at 100 per cent and that they are on the road to service our customers.” Over in Larkfield is the network planning team who not only helped to design the service and put together its timetable, but who also monitor its operation

twitter@FirstinGlasgow or visit www.facebook.com/FirstGlasgow

The customer is at the forefront of everything we do and the message to staff is always to gel as a team to make sure the service we provide is top-notch.

‘‘’’

PLANNING AHEAD:

taking customer feedback into account.

First Glasgow’s inspectors covering the West Dunbartonshire area are responsible for dealing with traffic problems affecting the running of The One. And when evening comes, a team of cleaners get to work on making sure the vehicles are presentable for the following day.

Spot checks take place to ensure buses are up to standard and drivers also conduct their own checks when they return to work to start their next shift.

For information about

OPERATIONS MANAGER WILLIE TOYE

services

Scan the photo to see more...

Shortlisted for top award THE One service has been shortlisted at this year’s National Transport Awards – one of the most respected awards ceremonies in the transport industry.

First Glasgow hopes the service will take the top prize in the Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing category which covers all areas of transport marketing including information, promotion and travel planning.

To complement the introduction of The One, First invested in a range of marketing initiatives designed to improve customer experience.

They included improved timetable information, high quality customer leaflets, improved internal branding, bespoke external livery and a competition giving customers the chance to be the ‘faces’ of the service.

John Cahill, Operations Director at First Glasgow, said: “I’m delighted the company has been shortlisted at the National Transport Awards – they are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the transport industry so it is especially pleasing to be in with a chance of winning.”

The awards take place in London on October 17.

visit www.firstgroup.com/simplicity

Shout page 4-5

30/9/13

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4

Page 1

5

Autumn 2013

Autumn 2013

REGULAR AND RELIABLE:

A bus on The One service travels over the River Leven on Old Dumbarton Bridge.

Scan the photo to see more...

Scan the photo to see more...

Scan Pretty Penny to find out more about the BusyBodies.

BusyBodies website makes bus travel more fun for children THEY’RE already making themselves busy on buses across Glasgow and beyond, giving out important information about timetables, fares and WiFi. Now First’s lovable cartoon characters the BusyBodies have a family-friendly website all to themselves.

In an initiative designed to make bus travel more enjoyable for children, the bus company has launched www.firstgroup.com/ busybodies.

The site features games, puzzles, family-friendly places to visit and tips on how to travel safely.

Visitors to the website are greeted with the phrase “Meet the BusyBodies, your new buddies,” together with details of how the 14 cartoon characters are promoting a range of services.

Pen-portraits are supplied to introduce the cartoon ambassadors which have cute names like Pretty Penny, Zomigod, Tikkit and Neenaw.

For example, the BusyBody called Brite is described as an

k Piggy & Bak

ENGINEERING

EXCELLENCE: Engineer Chris Taylor works on an eco-friendly engine.

THE MANY THAT MAKE THE ONE WORK FOR ALL

Tikkit ambassador for student travel, who “likes” noodles and “dislikes” cold beans.

Games for youngsters on the website include Spot the Difference, a colouring-in activity and a wordsearch.

The Great Days Out section suggests family-friendly places to visit in Greater Glasgow, Central Scotland, East Lothian, Borders, City of Edinburgh and Midlothian and Aberdeen.

A “Stay Safe” page reminds bus users not to press emergency buttons, run on the bus or distract the driver.

In conjunction with the website launch, First has also produced BusyBody trump-style playing cards which can be won by customers.

First Glasgow Public Relations Manager Emma Latimer said: “We wanted to add some excitement and colour to journeys across the city. This is a great way for younger children to learn a little about bus travel.

“The website and the BusyBody cards are part of our aim to encourage more families to use our service.”

SPICK AND SPAN: Susan Williamson is one of a tea m of cleaners at Dumbarton who ensure The One service buses are kept clean and presentable.

Hardworking team ensure it’s The One that customers want

W

HEN it comes to running First Glasgow’s The One service, a hardworking team operate behind the scenes to make sure passengers have the best possible journey.

Most of Dumbarton’s 93 drivers spend the majority of their time behind the wheel on a route that is part of The One, and some of them are becoming familiar faces for regular passengers.

Back at the depot, two drivers volunteer as ‘route reps’ to take feedback about problems that need to be addressed on any part of The One. But other staff share the responsibility of keeping the service on the road and, along with some drivers, their faces will soon be appearing on the back of buses as part of a campaign to introduce the service superstars to customers.

CLOSE TEAM

SERVICE WITH A SMILE:

Smash

Brite

For network updates

Andy Miller and the other drivers are committed to ensuring a reliable and comfortable travel experience for customers.

Operations Manager Willie Toye said: “We are a small but very close team and everyone plays an important part whether that is driving, cleaning, maintaining or planning. The One is the depot’s main service and a lot of hard work goes into making sure it runs smoothly.

“The customer is at the forefront of everything we do and the message to staff is always to gel as a team to make sure the service we provide is top-notch.”

Controllers work with drivers and the engineering team to make sure the buses go out on time each morning.

Engineering Supervisor Craig

IDENTICAL TWINS John, left, and Peter Douglas who helped promote The One service.

Head of Network Services David Robertson, left, and Network Planner Chris Hampson are part of a team who plan the services.

Campbell said: “Our work also involves inspections, servicing, preparing vehicles for MOTs and diagnosing faults. Our main focus is making sure our vehicles are in the best condition and any servicing is right the first time.

“We do everything we can to make sure our buses are running at 100 per cent and that they are on the road to service our customers.” Over in Larkfield is the network planning team who not only helped to design the service and put together its timetable, but who also monitor its operation

twitter@FirstinGlasgow or visit www.facebook.com/FirstGlasgow

The customer is at the forefront of everything we do and the message to staff is always to gel as a team to make sure the service we provide is top-notch.

‘‘’’

PLANNING AHEAD:

taking customer feedback into account.

First Glasgow’s inspectors covering the West Dunbartonshire area are responsible for dealing with traffic problems affecting the running of The One. And when evening comes, a team of cleaners get to work on making sure the vehicles are presentable for the following day.

Spot checks take place to ensure buses are up to standard and drivers also conduct their own checks when they return to work to start their next shift.

For information about

OPERATIONS MANAGER WILLIE TOYE

services

Scan the photo to see more...

Shortlisted for top award THE One service has been shortlisted at this year’s National Transport Awards – one of the most respected awards ceremonies in the transport industry.

First Glasgow hopes the service will take the top prize in the Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing category which covers all areas of transport marketing including information, promotion and travel planning.

To complement the introduction of The One, First invested in a range of marketing initiatives designed to improve customer experience.

They included improved timetable information, high quality customer leaflets, improved internal branding, bespoke external livery and a competition giving customers the chance to be the ‘faces’ of the service.

John Cahill, Operations Director at First Glasgow, said: “I’m delighted the company has been shortlisted at the National Transport Awards – they are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the transport industry so it is especially pleasing to be in with a chance of winning.”

The awards take place in London on October 17.

visit www.firstgroup.com/simplicity

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Autumn 2013

THE RIGHT TRACK New ticket initiative will keep rail passengers on the move

STATION SERVICE: Inspector George McLeod monitors the rail replacement service at Glasgow Central – for which passengers can now use their train tickets.

PARTNERSHIP working between First Glasgow and First ScotRail is helping rail passengers when they face disruption on the line.

Rail users are now able to use their train tickets on First buses when a problem occurs and the rail company activates the bus option.

The scheme is being warmly welcomed, with passengers successfully transferring to buses when signal disruption or power failure affects train services.

“By providing this ticket initiative First is helping to provide a joined-up service for passengers,” said John Elliot, Commercial Manager at First Glasgow. “In times of disruption, people are informed at the station that there is a problem and that they will be able to show their ticket on the bus.

“At the same time, we are informed of the situation by ScotRail and we put the message out to our drivers to accept the

tickets.” Instead of waiting for a rail replacement bus service to arrive, passengers can transfer straight away to the existing bus network.

To enable the partnership scheme, ticket machines have been enabled to accept the rail

For network updates

tickets and drivers have been informed through staff notices and a specially-issued pamphlet.

Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s Managing Director, said: “We have done a lot of work to limit disruption on Scotland’s railways and our punctuality score rose to

record levels last year. However, we also understand the importance of limiting inconvenience when services unfortunately are disrupted – and this scheme will be of real benefit to our customers in and around Glasgow.”

Coffee mornings are brewing up cash for charity FIRST Bus throughout the UK is raising thousands of pounds in support of its chosen charity Macmillan Cancer Support – and First Glasgow is at the centre of the action.

Taking part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, the charity’s annual nationwide event, employees raised cash through the sale of cakes and coffee to colleagues.

Last year more than £11,000 was realised by hosting coffee mornings throughout the company, and organisers were expected to raise even more this time around.

In addition, £13,163 of advertising space on First Glasgow buses was dedicated to supporting Macmillan’s Go Sober for October campaign encouraging people to give up alcohol for the whole month.

Macmillan Cancer Support is First’s UK Charity of Choice and the total value of the partnership to date is £539,529. This includes £106,500 in cash donations from First Group, £390,000 as commercial value of gifts in kind and £43,029 in employee fundraising – with a target of £100,000 by December.

twitter@FirstinGlasgow or visit www.facebook.com/FirstGlasgow

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Autumn 2013

APP’S THE WAY TO DO IT THOUSANDS of customers are using First’s free Bus App to help plan their journeys.

The app is proving extremely popular and there have been almost 200,000 downloads so far across the Apple and Android platforms.

With the app being used more than half million times each month, it is proving a useful way of accessing timetable and live information.

All of Britain’s 300,000 bus stops are included on the app’s map and thanks to the Global Positioning System (GPS)

REAL TIME INFO:

First’s new Bus App gives up-to-the-minute information to an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet.

users can find local bus stops, bus route maps, service updates and real-time bus departure Download information, where it the First is available.

Bus App from A search of bus The “Next Bus” App Store or services by route information on the discovers where app detects where Google Play the service closest customers are and tells will feature first. them how soon the bus App users can save will be at a stop close to particular bus stops to a them.

Favourites list so that they can People using First Glasgow quickly search the times for services can also track the route and see the times the bus regular buses they use.

The Bus Info section on the arrives or is due at other stops, app gives information about where available.

First bus services - timetables, tickets, fares and links to news items about services, special events and related topics.

The app was introduced by First as a way of improving its customers’ journey experiences and encouraging more people to use its services.

It can be downloaded from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android).

Driver scoops annual Superstar award for actions in helping a teenager in distress DRIVER James Gallacher has won First Glasgow’s annual Superstar of the Year award after going beyond the call of duty to assist a customer travelling on his bus.

Passengers on James’ Service 43 bus, which was travelling from Barlanark to Drumchapel, nominated him as a Superstar when he went to extraordinary lengths to ensure a distressed 15-year-old girl got home safely.

James, aged 49 from Cardonald, said: “I am delighted to be the company’s Superstar of the Year. I thoroughly enjoy my job, especially meeting customers, and I

TOP CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Driver James Gallacher with his Superstar of the Year award.

Evening link from concert venue to the city centre MUSIC fans leaving Glasgow’s premier concert venue at the end of an evening performance don’t need to worry about finding their way back to the city centre.

People attending major gigs, concerts and events at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) can step on board a speedy bus link to key central destinations.

First Glasgow’s 707 EventLink service provides dedicated bus travel after shows at the SECC. The venue attracts top names from the music world and the bus link is highly-valued by the concert-goers who flock to see their idols.

In recent months country fans attending the Kenny Rogers concert and followers of the rock

try to deliver the best customer service I possibly can. It was very kind of the customers to take the time to nominate me.”

First Glasgow Commercial Manager John Elliott said: “James has been a driver for First Glasgow for almost 20 years. He is a valued member of the team and has a reputation for good customer service.

“We like to recognise and reward our employees and are thankful to our customers for the many nominations we receive each month.

“We actively encourage our customers and colleagues to nominate

our employees for our monthly Superstar awards – those that have shown outstanding customer service and gone beyond the call of duty.

First’s Superstar scheme recognises employees each month who “go the extra mile”. One monthly winner is chosen as the annual winner. Nominations are received from First employees and customers each month and the winner is presented with High Street Gift Vouchers to the value of £100.

To nominate a First

employee for a Superstar award, please visit www.first group.com/superstars

EXPRESS SERVICE: A 707 EventLink bus outside the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

band Blondie made full use of the dedicated buses.

Later this year the legendary Fleetwood Mac are scheduled to perform.

The 707 buses line up outside the Clyde Auditorium to take fans back to the city centre, dropping off at Argyle Street (for Central Station), George Square (for Queen Street Station) and Killermont Street (for Buchanan Bus Station).

Buses depart from outside the Auditorium at 10.30pm or after the concert finishes. There’s just one fare and all customers pay just £2.50p.

EventLink is publicised on the SECC’s website, with a link to First’s website giving details of how it operates.

For information about

services

visit www.firstgroup.com/simplicity

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Autumn 2013

Boxing driver

Zulqy is aiming ZULQY Rehman hopes one day to be a world champion boxer. The First Glasgow Driver has already made his mark on the amateur scene – and now he’s set to fight for the first time as a professional.

The 24-year-old, who started out as a kick boxer, has travelled across the world to pursue his dream.

He has taken part in around 80 amateur bouts throughout the UK and in places as far afield as China, Pakistan and Africa. He impressed officials on the boxing scene in Pakistan so much that he almost made it into that country’s Olympic team. Now Zulqy has found himself a manager and he has a professional light welterweight fight scheduled for November in London.

“I have always wanted to become world champion,” said Zulqy, who drives out of

PACKING A PUNCH:

Driver Zulqy Rehman in training at Larkfield depot gym.

for the

TOP Larkfield depot. I went through an interview with the Boxing Board of Control to achieve professional status.

“I have had some great experience boxing against amateur opponents far and wide, but now I am setting my sights on making an impact at the next level.”

Zulqy, a member of the Barn Boxing Club in Coatbridge, trains mornings and evenings. He has sparred on a number of occasions with two-time world champion lightweight Ricky Burns, who hails from Coatbridge.

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON NEW £25M DEPOT FIRST Glasgow’s commitment to its customers is being strengthened by the building of a brand new super depot in the city.

Construction work is getting underway on the new Gushetfaulds Depot on Cathcart Road, where groundworks have progressed well and Phase One of the development is now complete.

The new Bus Maintenance Depot and Glasgow Headquarters is the largest facility to be built by First Group in 14 years at a total investment cost of £25 million.

Operations Director John Cahill said: “The First Glasgow team is delighted to announce that building work is about to start on our new site at Gushetfaulds. This represents a significant financial investment and strengthens our commitment to our customers and the local community.”

The replacement for the existing Larkfield depot will consist of three separate buildings – a bus maintenance facility, a dedicated service tunnel and a deep clean facility.

A specialist long-term vehicle repair unit will be located on the south side of the site.

The service tunnel will be fitted with an automated chassis clean unit, two high-specification vehicle washes, fuel installation and facilities for vehicle testing and body shop repairs.

The enablement contract to prepare the site, which ran on time and on budget, included delivery of a new access road, a footpath widening scheme including bus lay-by and

READY FOR CONSTRUCTION: Scheduler

Ross Park at the cleared site of what will be the new Gushetfaulds super depot for First Glasgow. Inset, an artist’s impression showing how the new complex will look.

off-site sewer connections. The building contract, awarded to Balfour Beatty, is for 52 weeks, with completion scheduled for late September /early October 2014.

The site on the south side of Glasgow has been designed to park and maintain a fleet of up to 450 vehicles. The initial phase will be built to accommodate a 300 vehicle fleet.

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Checks are part of ensuring safety is paramount CUSTOMER safety is paramount for Operations Auditor Billy McLellan who has a roving brief at First Glasgow to check vehicles anywhere and at any time.

Billy uses his 20 years’ experience in the bus industry

services

to maintain the highest levels of vehicle safety as he visits the city’s five depots to look at buses himself and make sure that drivers are doing their bit.

He said: “I have free reign to work days or nights and I can decide when and where to turn

up so that’s a good thing.

Drivers know that safety checks are vital. They keep an eye on tyres and also check that all internal or external panels are safe.”

visit www.firstgroup.com/simplicity