JUST THE TICKET

Politicians and unions hail plan for Manchester-style franchise system

- CHRIS MCCALL

BUS services in the west of Scotland face their biggest shake-up in 40 years after transport chiefs backed plans to reverse a huge fall in passenger numbers.

Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) hopes to bring buses back under public control following their sell-off in the 80s by the Tories.

It will launch a public franchise system, which has been successfully adopted in Manchester.

But councillors warned it could take more than five years to implement and have called on the Scottish Government to provide the millions in funding required.

A report from SPT said it had "significant concerns in terms of the efficiency, performance, affordability and overall sustainability of the bus network in Strathclyde".