First Bus to change timetables for services across Glasgow
The new timetables will affect 25 routes across Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire starting from Sunday, June 15, as part of the company's efforts to improve punctuality and reliability using artificial intelligence.
AI software has already delivered an average punctuality improvement of 8.5 per cent across more than 60 routes.
Read more: £1 million project to test AI's effectiveness in Scottish NHS
First Bus believes that further updates using the technology will create an even better service for its customers.
Chris Coleman, head of network for First Bus in Scotland, said: "This is a significant package of improvements for our customers across Lanarkshire and Glasgow.
"We want to provide a service that is reliable, consistent and, most importantly, on time.
"Congestion throughout Greater Glasgow has increased greatly in recent years and this has had a hugely negative impact on bus services in the city.
"We recognise the importance of building timetables that fit with the current live road conditions, so our customers know when their bus will arrive.
"These adjustments we are making to the timetables will achieve that while allowing us to serve as many people as possible."
AI-driven technology, combined with First Bus' network planning expertise, is being used to create timetables that better reflect real-world conditions, including traffic and congestion.
Among the route changes, services 18 and 21 will be updated.
Alternate service 18 buses will now travel from East Kilbride bus station to Gardenhall under the new 18A route.
As a result, service 21 will now operate only between East Kilbride bus station and Cochrane Street in Glasgow city centre.
In addition, service 201 has been extended from Hairmyres Hospital to Lidl on Eaglesham Road and the new Hairmyres railway station.
Other services with additional journeys include the 226, 263, 266, X4, and X11.
Further routes affected by the updates include the 2, 3, 6, 6A, 8, 11, 16, 18, 18A, 21, 77, 81, 90, 201, 226, 240, 241, 242, 255, 263, 266, 267, X4, X11, and U1.
Read more: Glasgow workers hail first-of-a-kind celebration at bus depot
First Bus aim to update physical timetable displays at stops as soon as possible.
However, due to the scale of the changes, the company is encouraging passengers to use the First Bus app for the latest timetable information and live bus tracking.
Full details of the updated timetables are available on the First Bus website.
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