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Paul Shaw

@paulshaww.bsky.social

130 followers 290 following 210 posts

Scientist Campaigns officer for Get Glasgow Moving Better Buses for Strathclyde Let Glasgow flourish! https://www.getglasgowmoving.org/support/join/ My Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/paulshaw94ps?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1v3syx

www.getglasgowmoving.org

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Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 5d

"It is about recognising that public transport (and all of our public services) are a need and a right and that they must not be used to line the pockets of a greedy few. This is about so much more than buses, it’s about building back our communities to finally, at long last, let Glasgow flourish."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 5d

"if SPT do their work well, we will have the template for publicly controlled, publicly accountable bus services across the whole of Scotland. It should be important to everyone (MSPs included) that it succeeds."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 5d

"It’s not just that we have been waiting for six years since the Transport Act was passed for guidance on implementing bus franchising to re-regulate the bus network, it is the fact that public transport is a vital public service which is not at all functioning under our current deregulated system."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 5d

open.substack.com/pub/paulshaw...

Why is Bus Franchising such a pressing issue in Scotland?

This issue is my first guest-written article by Get Glasgow Moving Secretary, Dr Susie Wood.

open.substack.com

Reposted by Paul Shaw

Better Buses for Strathclyde @betterbusesspt.bsky.social · 6d

Last month we celebrated a historic milestone for our campaign 🥳

On 19 Sept, the SPT Board finally approved plans to bring our region's buses back into public control over the next few years 🚌

Check out this video of our supporters' rally 👇

Join our campaign here: betterbuses.uk/strathclyde

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"tourist tax for Glasgow folk, fund our buses they're a joke!"

Sign the Living Rent petition:
www.livingrent.org/petition_bus...

Tourist tax to take our buses back

We believe in the collective power of tenants to come together to fight for their rights, and use diverse tactics – including direct action when necessary – to achieve this.

www.livingrent.org

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"two of the founding organisations of the @betterbusesspt.bsky.social campaign have come together to demand that revenue from the proposed tourist tax for Glasgow is given directly to SPT to help them deliver the most ambitious form of bus franchising."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"Lower income areas tend to be poorly connected, requiring several bus journeys to access work, healthcare, leisure activities or visit family, this adds greater heft to the transport lock but, thankfully, we now have the key."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

@anthonycarroll.bsky.social has been in the Glasgow Times lamenting the lack of amenities and a regular bus service for the new housing development in Sighthill...Cllr Robert Mooney highlighted Milton as another “desert”, pointing out the lack of supermarkets and reliable bus services"

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"To make a bad situation worse, the transport links were poor or non-existent and the schemes were built too far from the city to make walking an option for many...However, these issues have not been consigned to history, despite being well documented."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"Along with food costs, housing and transport are the three main household expenditures and if the provision of these is poor then communities are locked into a poverty spiral—that’s the real triple lock for many."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

"Damp, cold, mouldy houses and the tenants were cowed into believing it was down to their own failings...Cathy says that some of her neighbours would deny the mould in front of their eyes out of embarrassment."

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 9d

open.substack.com/pub/paulshaw...

The Real Triple Lock: Housing, Food and Transport

Tourist tax to take our buses back!

open.substack.com

Reposted by Paul Shaw

Get Glasgow Moving @getglasgowmoving.org · 12d

We’re excited to be working with Living Rent Glasgow on a new campaign to get @glasgowcc.bsky.social to invest income from the Tourist Tax in improving public transport 👏

This money must be used to deliver SPT's ambitious plans to 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 🚍🚏

Tourist tax to take our buses back

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 13d

I've written about the committee hearing on my Substack:
open.substack.com/pub/paulshaw...

Support from @patrickharvie.bsky.social and @paulsweeney.bsky.social on the day was hugely appreciated, if only their colleagues on the committee could share their ambition.

Citizens Participation and Publicly Pointless Committee

Our second Scottish Parliament petition hearing

open.substack.com

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 13d

It simply cannot be the case that parliament cannot deal with large issues for the last 6 months of a parliament. This is such a key time for SPT as they develop their franchising and the petitions committee have made the whole parliament culpable if they are delayed rather than just the government.

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 13d

The petitions committee showed a lack of understanding of the failings of our transport systems in Scotland and a lack of ambition to drive change. The powers are there, the public desire is there, SPT are willing. The parliament should be doing everything they can to speed this process up.

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 13d

The @betterbusesspt.bsky.social petition to the Scottish Parliament was closed yesterday. It's so frustrating. There was a lack of acknowledgement of our evidence or the number of signatures. Transport is one of the 3 major household expenditures, including food and housing.

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 15d

We blasted past our 5k target and are now pushing for 6k. Please sign and share, we can't wait any longer for better buses!

Better Buses for Strathclyde @betterbusesspt.bsky.social · 15d

Why are we still waiting for better buses? 🚍

📢 Last chance to sign our petition before we head back to the Scottish Parliament this 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝟮𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁, 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬𝗮𝗺

Help us reach 𝟲,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 before!

Please sign & share this link 👇
📝 petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2116

Sign our Scottish Parliament petition

Reposted by Paul Shaw

Better Buses for Strathclyde @betterbusesspt.bsky.social · 19d

After 2 years campaigning, today we celebrated the final approval of SPT's plans to bring our region's buses back into public control 🚍🥳

Now we need the ScotGov's support to make it happen!

Help us reach 5,000 signatures on our petition 👇

📝 petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2116

Rally at SPT Offices

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 22d

Amazing! The support goes up to 86% if you remove the don't knows! This is a great mandate for SPT to be ambitious.

Reposted by Paul Shaw

Better Buses for Strathclyde @betterbusesspt.bsky.social · 22d

🚨 Breaking news 🚨

83% support SPT's bus franchising plans! 🥳

See the full consultation results here:
spt.co.uk/media/5u5c1xur/p190925_agenda7.pdf

Join our Rally this Friday to celebrate 👇

📢 Better Buses Rally
🗓️ Friday 19 Sept 2025, 9:30am
📍 SPT Offices, 131 St Vincent St, Glasgow, G2 5JF

Join our Rally at SPT Offices this Friday

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 22d

Yet so much of our public realm prioritises the private car. Despite it being the most ineffective way of moving people about. Why it has taken so long for change to happen and why that change is happening at a snails pace is beyond me but at least it's a start.

A graphic illustrating the time to get 200 people through a junction by various modes. 200 pedestrians takes 38 seconds, 200 cyclists takes 1 min 59 secs, 5 trams with an average of 40 people takes 32 seconds, 10 buses with an average of 20 people takes 31 seconds and 133 cars with an average of 1.5 people takes 4 minutes 8 seconds!

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 22d

To add to this, public transport drives the economy. Even if you ignore the human element, it drives productive behaviours. I can't understand why everyone in the political sphere isn't bending over backwards to resolve this problem.

A pie chart showing the purpose of bus journeys in Scotland. 34% commuting, 12% education, 23% shopping, 7% visiting others, 2% health, 2% personal business, 2% sport/entertainment, 18% any other purpose.

Paul Shaw @paulshaww.bsky.social · 22d

💯💯💯 @cmmonwealth.bsky.social
Privatisation of public services is an unequivocal failure. Public transport in this country is a disaster due to the worst excesses of the private companies. The tide is turning...

Common Wealth @cmmonwealth.bsky.social · 22d

Welcome to Rip-Off Britain.

A country remade by privatisation.

Our latest project — Who Owns Britain? — explores how a radical experiment transformed our society and shapes your life.

🧵