Edinburgh, 11 November 2025 – Following a public inquiry, Traffic Commissioner for Scotland Richard Turfitt has issued penalties against McGill’s Scotland East Ltd and Midland Bluebird Ltd, trading as McGill’s Midland Bluebird, for failing to meet regulatory standards in bus operations.
Inquiry and Compliance Issues
The inquiry examined the operators’ compliance with licence undertakings, focusing on bus service punctuality, vehicle maintenance, driver defect reporting, and overall transport management systems. Evidence from Bus Users Scotland highlighted concerns about service reliability and timeliness.
The Commissioner noted that monitoring data and passenger complaints indicated that bus services were not consistently operating on schedule. This raised concerns about public confidence and potential breaches of licence undertakings.
Findings on Operational Failures
The inquiry identified multiple compliance failures by both companies, including:
- Inadequate systems for reporting and rectifying vehicle defects.
- Failures in ensuring vehicles were roadworthy and maintained according to declared inspection intervals.
- Weak oversight by Transport Managers.
- Incidents such as a bus catching fire while in operation, with vehicles sourced from another Scottish operator.
Despite these shortcomings, both operators had implemented measures to improve compliance, including investment in new systems and personnel changes.
Penalties and Regulatory Action
To enforce compliance and protect public interest, Commissioner Turfitt ordered McGill’s Bluebird Ltd to pay a penalty of £29,700 for failing to operate services according to registered timetables. The amount was paid to Scottish Ministers under section 39 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.
Commissioner Turfitt stated: “I make very clear that these operators can no longer use the poor state of vehicles as an excuse for failing to meet published timetables. Both are given a final warning. I find the repute of each entity to be severely tarnished by the finding of maintenance issues identified at the hearing… Any further reports are likely to result in consideration of more extensive intervention. I also take account of the previous reports of poor punctuality.”
Transport Managers and Future Monitoring
Transport Managers involved were reminded of their statutory duties and the importance of proactive oversight. The Commissioner directed that future operations will be closely monitored, and any further failings may result in more serious regulatory intervention.