Latest news with #JohnMcBarron
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
Scottish bus firm axes all services after entering liquidation
Founded by Kilbarchan resident John McBarron in 2023, the non-profit organisation aimed to provide transport from Johnstone to the surrounding areas after residents complained from the community about the quality of bus services. The bus company said that as of Tuesday, it will no longer operate the bus services. READ MORE: Talking Heads star David Byrne announces two Scottish shows in new world tour In a post on social media, the former director attributed the 'difficult decision' to cease operations due to 'rising costs and cash flow' challenges. The firm had received over £35,000 of funding from Renfrewshire Council and the National Lottery Fund. In their statement, Johnstone and Area Community Transport thanked its drivers, saying they were the best 'in the world' and have 'shown the bus industry how to operate services with genuine recognition of people's needs'. The statement said: 'It is with great sadness that an agent has been appointed for the liquidation of our small company. 'Rising costs and cash flow problems have led us to make this difficult decision. 'SPT was informed last week that we were in a critical financial position. 'We are incredibly grateful for the loyalty of our passengers and hope we have demonstrated the demand for additional local bus services. (Image: PA) 'We are also thankful to Renfrewshire Council and The National Lottery Fund, which together provided £35,000 in funding.' The statement continued: 'This figure represents less than half of what I personally contributed to this company. 'After working for a year without pay, I can no longer sustain the financial burden. 'The team of drivers, in my opinion, are the best drivers in the world. 'Their humility, empathy, and community spirit are unparalleled. 'They have shown the bus industry how to operate services with genuine recognition of people's needs, rather than treating them solely as revenue. 'The entire community supported us. We wish everyone the very best on their future journeys. 'Sadly, we will not be part of them.'
STV News
3 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Community bus operator cancels all services after entering liquidation
A community bus operator in Renfrewshire has cancelled all of its services after entering liquidation. Johnstone and Area Community Transport in Renfrewshire announced that, as of Tuesday, June 9, they 'will no longer be operating bus services'. Via a Facebook post, the non-profit company's director, John McBarron – who set up the company after attending a meeting in 2023 at Johnstone Town Hall – said it was with 'great sadness' that an agent had been appointed to liquidate the firm. Despite a funding contribution of £35,000 from Renfrewshire Council and The National Lottery Fund, he went on to reveal that 'rising costs and cash flow' issues led the company to liquidate. He said: 'As from Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Johnstone and Area Community Transport will no longer be operating bus services. 'It is with great sadness that an agent has been appointed for the liquidation of our small company. 'Rising costs and cash flow problems have led us to make this difficult decision. 'SPT were informed last week that we were in a critical financial position. 'We are incredibly grateful for the loyalty of our passengers, and hopefully, we have shown there is demand for additional local bus services. 'We are also thankful to Renfrewshire Council and The National Lottery Fund that together supported us with £35,000 of funding. 'This figure is less than half of the value that I personally contributed to this company. After working for a year without pay, I can no longer sustain the financial burden. 'The team of drivers, in my opinion, are the best drivers in the world. Their humility, empathy and community spirit could not be surpassed. 'They all demonstrated to the bus industry how to operate a bus service with recognition of people's needs and not just treating them as revenue. 'The whole community supported us. We wish everyone all the best on their future journeys. Unfortunately, we will not be part of that. Sincerely, John McBarron, Director.' SPT and Renfrewshire Council have been contacted for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scots bus operator axes all services with IMMEDIATE EFFECT after entering shock liquidation
They received over £35,000 of funding towards the scheme GONE BUS-T Scots bus operator axes all services with IMMEDIATE EFFECT after entering shock liquidation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTS bus operator has ceased all services with immediate effect after the firm entered unexpected liquidation. The travel company, which provided transport across Renfrewshire, delivered the devastating news via social media on Monday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The bus firm said it was to axe all services as of today Credit: Facebook Johnstone and Area Community Transport announced with "great sadness" that an agent had been appointed to oversee the liquidation process. The non-profit organisation was founded by Kilbarchan resident John McBarron in 2023, following complaints from the community about the quality of bus services in Johnstone to the surrounding area. In a Facebook post, the former director attributed the decision to fold to "rising costs and cash flow" challenges, calling it a "difficult decision." As of today, Tuesday, June 10, the company will no longer operate bus services. The firm had received over £35,000 of funding from Renfrewshire Council and the National Lottery Fund. In their statement, Johnstone and Area Community Transport said: "As from Tuesday, 10 June 2025, Johnstone and Area Community Transport will no longer be operating bus services. "It is with great sadness that an agent has been appointed for the liquidation of our small company. "Rising costs and cash flow problems have led us to make this difficult decision. "SPT was informed last week that we were in a critical financial position. "We are incredibly grateful for the loyalty of our passengers and hope we have demonstrated the demand for additional local bus services. Shock Closure: Fisher Tours Ends Operations After 22 Years "We are also thankful to Renfrewshire Council and The National Lottery Fund, which together provided £35,000 in funding. "This figure represents less than half of what I personally contributed to this company. "After working for a year without pay, I can no longer sustain the financial burden. "The team of drivers, in my opinion, are the best drivers in the world. "Their humility, empathy, and community spirit are unparalleled. "They have shown the bus industry how to operate services with genuine recognition of people's needs, rather than treating them solely as revenue. "The entire community supported us. We wish everyone the very best on their future journeys. "Sadly, we will not be part of them." The company's website has now been taken offline. Renfrewshire Council and Scottish Transport Partnership have been approached for comment.
