Glasgow bar staff hit out after First boss says 'drive the night bus'

It comes after Duncan Cameron, managing director at First, told our sister title The Herald that getting drivers behind the wheel was the bus firm's biggest challenge.

He said: "What's to stop somebody working in a bar being volunteered to be trained by First Bus and, as part of their shift, work for First Bus doing two journeys and the late-night services?

"It might sound a bit of a wacky idea, but it would solve the problem and provide employment."

We spoke to staff at several city-centre bars who felt insulted and were left speechless by the comment.

Duncan later added: "This was by no means put forward as the solution – it was simply an example of the type of creative thinking that might be required by all stakeholders to overcome the labour challenges we and other sectors are continuing to face.”

A hospitality shift in Glasgow can last upwards of 12 hours and the work is incredibly demanding, workers told the Glasgow Times.

Cerys Sinclair (Image: Newsquest)

Bartender Cerys Sinclair, 23, said: "I don’t think its really feasible. These people don’t need jobs, they don’t need more hours, they just need to get home safely.

“It doesn’t really solve the problem of getting home.”

Steven Gilligan (Image: Newsquest)

Bar manager Steven Gilligan, 29, said the suggestion "made no sense".

He added: "After driving the night bus, would you then have to go to the depot? And then how would you get home?

“The idea of working a shift and then having to get on a bus and drive people around is unsafe and just ridiculous.

“You want to get home; you don’t want to continue working.”

Another bar manager, Olivia Mackereth, says the suggestion "just shows the amount of disrespect for hospitality workers".

Olivia Kennedy and Olivia Mackereth (Image: Newsquest)

The 28-year-old said: “I don’t know why they think it’s appropriate to have people work a shift somewhere and then work another shift on the bus.

“What are they hoping to achieve with that? It makes absolutely no sense. Also, it doubles down on the fact that people have very little respect for hospitality workers.

"After I’m done driving the night bus, am I meant to just take it home?

“I would really like to know what their logic is behind the suggestion."

Holly Paterson (Image: Newsquest)

Holly Paterson, 25, said: "It just seems a tad ridiculous to have someone who has potentially just done an eight-hour shift running about on their feet to then be asked to go and drive a bus home.

“If they can drive a bus home why are they not just driving themselves home at that point?

“I don’t know many bartenders who would be up for that at all.”

Roisin McGraw (Image: Newsquest)

Another bar worker, Roisin McGraw, said that it was like asking someone to work two jobs.

The 23-year-old said: “It’s so unsafe, think how tired you would be.

“Then how are they going to get home? Do they park the bus outside their home? Or do they park it at the depot and then have to get a taxi home? That’s absolutely crazy."

Ciaran Aitchison (Image: Newsquest)

Ciaran Aitchison, 20, added: “It’s not been thought out. It’s very unsafe and it’s so random.”

Manager Tony McTaggart, 30, was speechless when he heard the comment.

Tony McTaggart (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “It’s got to be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard come from a massive company, it’s so poor."

Neil Greig, policy and research director at I Am Roadsmart, said his charity welcomes creative solutions but has concerns about how a scheme like this could be implemented.

He said: "Bus-driving is a very highly skilled job requiring training and extra tests and best performed after as much practice as possible. 

"We would need to be reassured that no shortcuts are taken to fast-track the applicants from the hospitality industry who might fit the bill. 

"Pay and conditions would also have to be looked at to ensure this idea didn’t lead to a two-tier industry.”