News of a financial crisis yesterday brought fresh speculation of the demise of a once powerful transport giant.
STEWART PATERSON and CATHERINE FEGAN
NEWS of a financial crisis yesterday brought fresh speculation of the demise of a once powerful transport giant.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is now facing a huge budget deficit which could increase fivefold within the next two years.
The current body is a new incarnation of a decades old organisation which has over the years morphed from one persona to another.
In years gone by, as Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (and Authority) set up in 1968, it had control over buses, trains and the Glasgow Subway, and was the undisputed transport king in the west of Scotland.
Deregulation of the buses in 1980 took one function away, then its rail powers went with the creation of Transport Scotland and regional transport partnerships.
Now it operates the Glasgow Subway, ferries which run between Renfrew and Yoker and between Gourock and Kilcreggan together with a co-ordinating planning role and ensures bus services on unprofitable but socially necessary routes survive.
The changing functions and diminution of powers led to its purpose being questioned less than three years ago, amid concerns that it could be swallowed up by the newly created Transport Scotland, with its headquarters in Glasgow.
However, far from being brought to its knees, SPT has continued to fight for various causes, notably the Glasgow Airport Rail link, Crossrail and it currently has plans to extend the subway beyond the twin tunnel circle city centre and fringes network.
It is still a major employer with 700 staff, a headquarters in Glasgow city centre and a budget of more than £100m.
Ron Culley, SPT chief executive, said: "The thing about transport is it doesn't have boundaries in the way that local authorities do. Inevitably a large element of delivering a transport strategy is regional and we are that agency for the west of Scotland. Transport Scotland exists to deal with the national strategy, and regional transport partnerships do what both national and local government can't.
"Until 2006, SPT was the only transport authority in Scotland and, when the government decided to create others, SPT was the model. Only yesterday John Swinney announced £5m for SPT to develop park and ride."
While fighting for high profile developments, and adjusting to its new role it has faced setbacks and criticism over delivery of key projects. The long-running catalogue of problems includes unfinished projects, escalating costs and poor customer satisfaction.
One is Partick Interchange, a multi-million pound re-development of a Glasgow rail and Subway station that is behind schedule and well over-budget. Work should have finished in February, 2008, but in May last year the cost soared by £6.3m. The final bill to £18.6m.
In April last year SPT was stripped of its right to build its flagship project, the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, one of the Scottish Government's transport priorities, scheduled to be completed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
In 2004 and 2005 a series of strikes by Subway staff dented commuter confidence as thousands of frustrated travellers turned their backs on the Underground. Passenger numbers on the Subway in Glasgow slumped by almost 300,000 in 2004, but last year they grew.
In December last year, an announcement came that Crossrail, the often called-for and long awaited scheme described as "Scotland's missing railway link", would not be going ahead. SPT, however, remains confident it is not completely lost, and hopes to re-open discussions with ministers in the near future.
The major blow came when it was relieved of its rail powers and was no longer a signatory to the ScotRail franchise, seen by some as a deliberate move to weaken the organisation.
Glasgow Cathcart MSP, Charlie Gordon, is a former chairman of SPT and someone who recognises its value, but fears for its future. He said: "In due course a government will think what is it for?'. Compared to the old SPT pre-1996, it successor body is held in nothing like the same respect. The biggest challenge is who would run the Subway and Buchanan bus station."
However, he recognises that the functions would have to be delivered by one or various bodies and SPT is in a better position than its sister partnerships across Scotland.
Despite its diminished status, the criticisms and now the financial difficulties, there is still a view that SPT will survive for many years to come, and, certainly within the organisation, it is argued that if SPT didn't exist you would have to invent it.
