PASSENGERS across the west of Scotland could be left without bus services if an investigation into the take-over of one bus firm by another is not concluded within weeks.
The managing director of McGill's Buses, Ralph Roberts, issued the warning as his firm waits to hear if it will be allowed to take over around a dozen routes currently operated by Arriva Scotland West in a £10 million deal.
The acquisition is being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading.
Mr Roberts, who recently moved from Arriva Scotland West to McGill's, fears that if the OFT orders the two firms to remain separate beyond an agreed hand-over date of March 26, Arriva would not be able continue services beyond that date, but McGill's could not step in.
He believes that if the OFT prevents the deal from going ahead, bus services will be lost.
He said: "If the OFT get involved here, there's no guarantee the Traffic Commissioner would allow [Arriva] to operate. They have de-registered and will not be operating from March 26.
"Before the deal completes on March 26, the OFT could rule that we must keep the businesses separate. The problem with that is Arriva have de-registered their services.
"It's messy, by no means a certainty, and there's a real danger that something would give.
He added: "We wouldn't be in a position to step in because we need Arriva's buses, and if the deal can't go ahead, we won't have the buses to operate the routes that are registered.
"The OFT hopefully will see sense, but we've only just got through the information-gathering process: They've now got to go and crunch that."
The OFT has confirmed it has no date for a decision on the deal.
A spokesman said: "We will update the mergers case as and when we have better information on when we are expected to reach a decision."
McGill's currently operates 10 routes across Renfrewshire but from March 26 it will operate 24 across a wider area following the take-over.
Services changing hands will include those operating from Barrhead, Inchinnan and Johnstone.
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