A FORMER bus boss who was exiled on mystery "gardening leave" more than a year ago is to take over the running of buses in Glasgow as a director at Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.
Ronnie Park, who was the managing director of First Bus's Glasgow division from 2010 until July 2013, will step in as SPT's director of bus operations in the next few weeks.
The post has been vacant since the height of SPT's expenses scandal in 2010 when then-director of bus operations, Eric Stewart, was promoted to his current post of assistant chief executive in charge of operations.
The job was advertised in 2011 but never filled.
It was advertised again last year. Mr Park is understood to have been the only suitable applicant and was the only person interviewed for the post.
The Herald revealed that Mr Park had exited the bus giant on a leave of absence in July 13, 2013, amid rumours that he had been unhappy about deep cuts that First's senior management expected him to implement.
However, sources close to the bus firm - which runs 85 per cent of the services in Glasgow - denied that this was the cause and the real reasons behind his departure have never emerged.
He subsequently stood down as managing director at First Glasgow in October 2013.
His trajectory from First Bus to SPT mirrors that of his predecessor in the role, Mr Stewart.
Mr Stewart served as managing director of First Bus in Glasgow for a number of years, working alongside Mr Park who was then operations director and later deputy managing director.
However, Mr Stewart is also said to have departed "under a cloud" in the late noughties, moving across to SPT to become its director of bus operations while Mr Park went on to become First Glasgow's managing director.
SPT underwent a major management shake-up in 2010 after revelations that senior officials had racked up expense bills of almost £120,000 in three years. A number of senior executives were forced to quit over the scandal which culminated in an investigation by auditors KPMG who criticised "excessive" spending, shredded receipts and found £32,000 unaccounted for.
David McDonald, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council's SNP opposition, said: "There is no doubt that Mr Park is experienced in the bus industry, however there is a very real danger of his appointment being seen as a return to a 'jobs for the boys' culture at SPT.
"The public are fast losing what faith they had left in SPT. Councillor Jonathan Findlay said, when he became SPT chair in 2010, that was going to clean up SPT: if this is how Labour clean up organisations then it is time for them to step aside."
A spokeswoman for SPT said: "SPT's Director of Bus Operations post was advertised on a global employment search site as well as our own website. Only one applicant met the essential criteria specified in the advert and therefore qualified for interview.
"The standard selection procedure was followed, including the use of behavioural profiling and a two tier interview process. Gordon Maclennan, Chief Executive and Eric Stewart, assistant chief executive (Operations) were involved in the formal process, supported by HR.
"An offer of employment has subsequently been issued to the suitable candidate. As with best practice, the offer is subject to a number of conditions being satisfied and that process is not yet complete. Until then, we are not in a position to confirm the appointment."
A spokeswoman for First Glasgow said: "We congratulate Ronnie on his appointment and look forward to working with him in his new role at SPT."
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