News Archive
18/01/2012 - Major Service Changes - March 2012
We regret to announce the withdrawal of our Services to Glasgow (20, 204, 204X, 205, 215) from Saturday 3rd March 2012.
This decision has been made based on a number of factors including rising fuel costs and ^cuts within the Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme and *Bus Service Operator's Grant or *BSOG.
However, we will be bringing back our Local Service 4/5 which will provide a greatly improved Service between Balloch and Dumbarton. The Service will also operate from Lomond Shores re-instating a public service after being withdrawn by another operator.
We will also be introducing a new Service 16 operating between Helensburgh - Dumbarton - Bellsmyre. The 16 also re-instates our former Service 6 but improved & more frequent than before. The Service also operates to Churchill in Helensburgh providing this residential area with a frequent, extended Service between both towns. Low floor buses will be used on all our Local Bus Services accessible for buggies and wheelchairs.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our passengers who used our Services to Glasgow and greatly appreciate your custom over the years.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES:
Withdrawn and last day of Operation will be Sat 3rd March 2012:
20, 204, 204X, 205 & 215
Small timetable changes from Mon 5th March 2012:
7 & 7A
NEW Services starting on Mon 5th March 2012:
4/5 - Operating Lomond Shores, Balloch - Haldane - Alexandria - Renton - Dumbarton. Frequency Mon- Sat between 7am - 7pm every 15/20 minutes!
16 - Operating Helensburgh - Churchill - Cardross - Castlehill - ASDA Dumbarton - Bellsmyre/Bonhill. Frequency Mon - Sat between 7am - 7pm every 20 minutes!
If you have any questions or queries, call us on 01389 754 321 or click here to contact us.
New timetables for the Service 4/5 & 16 are available here to download.
Weekly & Monthly Bus Tickets: Passengers are advised, if you have purchased a weekly or monthly ticket and this expires after 3rd March 2012, we will refund your ticket for the days after withdrawal of our Glasgow Services. Please post your ticket to: Customer Services, McColl's Group, Block 4, Vale of Leven Industrial Estate, Dumbarton including your full name, address and contact number. Upon receipt, we will send you a cheque in the post for the amount due payable.
[*The Bus Service Operators Grant (formerly Fuel Duty Rebate) is a scheme that refunds some of the Fuel Duty incurred by operators of registered local bus services in the United Kingdom]
^12/12/2011 - Festive Service Arrangements 2011-2012
All Services (except 184, 305, 306 & 309) will operate a normal timetable excluding : -
- 25th, 26th & 27th Dec 2011 - NO SERVICE
- 28th until 31st Dec 2010 & 4th January 2012 - Saturday Service
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd Jan 2012 - NO SERVICE
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Service 184 will operate a normal timetable excluding : -
- 25th & 26th Dec 2011 - NO SERVICE
- 27th Dec 2011 - SAT SERVICE
- 1st & 2nd Jan 2012 - NO SERVICE
- 3rd Jan 2012 - SAT SERVICE
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Service 305, 306 & 309 will operate a normal timetable excluding : -
- 25th Dec 2011 - NO SERVICE
- 26th Dec 2011 - SUN SERVICE
- 27th Dec 2011 - SAT SERVICE
- 1st Jan 2012 - NO SERVICE
- 2nd Jan 2012 - SUN SERVICE
- 3rd Jan 2012 - SAT SERVICE
Note the following early stop times on Christmas & New Years Eve: 309 21:45 & 305 23:00 from Alexandria Train Station.
07/12/2011 - Severe Weather Warning - Thursday 8th December 2011
A red warning has been issued by the Met Office for Central, Tayside, Fife, Strathclyde, south west Scotland and Lothian & Borders.
Such warnings are highly unusual and usually only issue once or twice a year. With such severe weather forecast, Transport Scotland is urging people to pay attention to police travel warnings. Police advise that conditions for travel between 3pm and 6pm are likely to be extremely poor and significant delays are expected. This could lead to all main road bridges being closed and will have a severe impact on tomorrow night’s rush hour. Disruption to power supplies and property is also a strong possibility.
Transport Minister Keith Brown will this afternoon take part in a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room. Transport Scotland's Multi-Agency Response Team will continue to operate for the remainder of the week.
04/10/2011 - Helensburgh & Lomond School Transport
Following a recent tender to provide mainstream transport for schools in the Helensburgh & Lomond area, we are delighted to announce our successful award by Argyll & Bute Council for 4 years.
From Monday 17th October 2011, we will now be providing transport for Kilcreggan Primary, Cardross Primary, Garelochhead Primary, Rhu Primary, St Joseph's Primary, Luss Primary, Arrochar Primary, Rosneath Primary and Hermitage Academy.
We will be providing modern, safe & reliable buses all fitted with seatbelts. All of our vehicles undergo 4 weekly safety checks and we have a green OCRS (Operator's Compliance Risk Score) strictly admisted by the Vehicle & Operators Services Agency (more info can be found at http://www.vosa.gov.uk/)
Our staff are all cleared by an Enhanced Disclosure Scotland or PVG ensuring they are suitable to work with children (more info can be found at: http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/)
Our Manager, Mr Liam McColl comments "I am delighted to be serving our wider community of Helensburgh & Lomond for school transport once again. As a family business, I understand the importance of safe & reliable school transport and look forward to providing this in Helensburgh & Lomond. We have also fitted seatbelts to all our buses on school transport in Helensburgh & Lomond schools to prove our commitment to safety. We have a strong working relationship with Argyll & Bute Council combined with our years of experience to ensure we provide the best possible."
We look forward to serving the community of Helensburgh & Lomond once again and welcome any questions you may have by calling: 01389 754 321.
22/09/2011 - Monday 26th September - Holiday Arrangements
Passengers are advised of the Service levels below:
- No Service: 7A, 20 & 184
- Saturday Service: 7
- Sunday Service: *204, 205, 215, 305, 306 & 309
- Special Service: 208 will operate hourly between 9am & 4pm.
*Service 204/205/215 will operate a Sunday Service but with additional runs during peak times.
14/09/2011 - Service 309 & School Bus Disruptions - A811 Stirling Road Closure
Re-surfacing works will begin on the A811 Stirling Road near Gartocharn from Monday 19th September until an *estimated date of Friday 30th September 2011.
During this time, the road will be completed closed:
- Mon 19 Sep to Fri 23 Sep 2011 - Convoy working 09.00 to 20.00hrs (Planing & regulating course, finishing earlier if possible)
- Sat 24 Sep to Mon 26 Sep 2011 - Road open, no works planned.
- *Tue 27 Sep to Fri 30 Sep 2011 - Road closure 09.00 to 20.00hrs (Surfacing operations, finishing earlier if possible)
*Estimated works schedule, subject to favourable weather conditions.
During the period of the road closure, there will be no access from Balloch (North) to Gartocharn on the A811 or access from Gartocharn (South) to Balloch on the A811.
As a result, the following Services/Schools will be diverted during the closure:
- Service 309 - A temporary timetable will operate, click here to download
- Gartocharn Primary School - Please call, 01389 754 321 and select option 1
- Gartocharn <> Balloch School Bus Link - Please call, 01389 754 321 and select option 1
SPT and West Dunbartonshire Council will be working towards a separate bus to link Garotcharn and Balloch by Public Service, more information will be available in due course.
02/09/2011 - Service 7A, 205 & 305 - Lomond Road Closure from Mon 5th Sep until Sat 10th Sep 2011
Lomond Road will be closed between Luss Rd and Carrochan Rd for resurfacing works.
The following Service diversions will be in place until the works are completed:
- Service 7A - Normal route towards Balloch. On return route, Carrochan Rd, Balloch Rd, Luss Rd and normal route.
- Service 205 - From Balloch Bus Stance via Carrochan Rd, Drymen Rd, Lomond Rd, Dumbain Rd, Cook Rd, Miller Rd, Carrochan Rd (A813), Balloch Rd, Luss Rd (B857) and normal route. On return route, Luss Rd (B857), Balloch Rd, Carrochan Rd (A813) and normal route.
- Service 305 - From Alexandria Train Station normal route until Luss Rd (B857), Balloch Rd, Carrochan Rd (A813) and normal route. Return journey normal route.
23/08/2011 - Service 204/205/215 - Dumbarton Road Closure on Sunday 28th August 2011
Between 06:00 and 22:00 on Sunday 28th August, the above Services will be diverted due to road re-surfacing.
Unfortunately, we will be unable to serve Bowling. Old Kilpatrick will be served by a shuttle organised by SPT between Old Kilpatrick, Roman Crescent and Mountblow (Dalmuir West) to our diverted Services. Note, the shuttle bus will not be operated by McColl's but will be free of charge.
The diversion will be as follows:
14/08/2011 - NEW Student Local Return (Priced at only £1.50 NETWORK WIDE!)
From Monday 22nd August 2011, Students will now be able to save money through our Local Return tickets.
Simply show the bus driver your *Student ID and pay ONLY £1.50 for 2 journeys on ANY of our Services! No peak time restrictions other than you need to show your Student ID when using the return portion of your ticket.
McColl's Local Return tickets offer fanatastic 2 journey affordable value for our passengers and have a been a big hit! For more information about our Local Returns also available to passengers who are not Students, click here for more information.
*Student ID must be valid at time of purchase and when using the return portion which must be used on the same day. Full terms & conditions will apply.
13/08/2011 - Service 20 - Local Return at ONLY £2!
Our NEW Service 20 (commences 22nd August 2011) will have it's own Local Return price at an amazing £2 anywhere on route!
Our 2 journey tickets have proved a big hit to passengers on our exisisting Services and our new passengers between Drumchapel & Glasgow will now also benefit.
Our low priced single fares and £2 Local Return will save passengers money without comprimising on safety, reliability and quality of vehicles. More information about our Drumchapel <> Glasgow Local Return will be available shortly on our "Fares & Tickets" section. Why pay more?
05/08/2011 - Service 4, 5 & 6 - Withdrawn from Sat 20th August 2011
It is with regret, the following Services will be withdrawn from Saturday 20th August.
Our Service 4 & 5 will continued to be served by our 204 & 205 Services but there will be no replacement for our Service 6. On behalf of the management & drivers, we would like to thank our passengers for their continued custom over the years.
Head Office
Block 4
Vale Of Leven Industrial Estate
Dumbarton, G82 3PD
Opening Hours
Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm
Sat: 9am - 2pm
Sun: Closed
Hours may vary during public holidays.
