McGill’s Midland Bluebird bus service has experienced a mass-exodus of drivers after the announcement that their Bannockburn depot would close in August, leaving the remaining drivers to fill in the gap.
The bus depot has been relocated solely to McGill’s Midland Bluebird main depot in Larbert to accommodate the new fleet of electric buses. A spokesperson from McGill’s Midland Bluebird told Brig that the move allows them “to manage service delivery more effectively and sustainably, while providing a strong platform for continued fleet investment, further decarbonisation and the potential development of Bus Rapid Transit corridors across the Forth Valley. “
A reportedly strained workforce
Before the Bannockburn depot closed, Brig spoke to approximately 20 per cent of the remaining workforce in Bannockburn on deep background and learned that, with about 20 open driving positions, the drivers who stayed were stretched thin through the summer.
Initial resignations from the workforce took place due to an unwillingness to commute to Larbert each day. Meanwhile, concerned about their ability to drive the newer electric bus fleet, some of the older drivers left.
Without enough drivers to properly staff the bus routes, management at the depot were said to be calling people in on their days off.
According to staff, management didn’t appear to be concerned about staffing at this stage, as McGill’s was hiring new drivers daily from the training centre in Larbert. However, it was said that these new drivers quit within a month. The experienced drivers suggested that this turnover attributed to the higher-than-expected workload, and some blame what they consider to be inadequate training.
Staff suggested that McGill’s were hiring new personnel just as fast as they were quitting, with experienced drivers also leaving the company at a consistent rate.
In mid-July, as staffing dwindled and the 31 August depot closure date approached, management were said to begin to “scramble”, and started sending non-driving staff (such as controllers) out on the road, and called in reinforcements from other depots to pitch in.
Unite industrial officer, Pat Egan said: “Unite is aware of high turnover of staff throughout the company which is leading to increasing pressures on existing and new staff. We believe this is partially down to the fact there has been confusion over the working rotas at the bus depot. We are consulting with our members on how best to resolve these ongoing issues with the company.”
These claims come after University of Stirling students complained about Midland Bluebird’s UniLink service, as reported by The Courier in 2025, regarding the UniLink service’s reliability.
In response to these claims
A spokesperson for Midland Bluebird said, “As previously announced, Midland Bluebird’s operations across the Forth Valley are now based at our main depot in Larbert following a programme of consolidation.”
“As part of the consolidation, Midland Bluebird has increased the number of drivers available across its operations and continues to recruit additional staff. Any suggestion that the company is reducing its driver workforce is incorrect.
“The UniLink service remains important to Midland Bluebird, the University of Stirling and its students. We have dedicated personnel during term-time who are on hand to assist UniLink passengers and we also hold regular working-group meetings with representatives of the university and the Students’ Union to discuss the service and its operation.”
Featured Image Credit: Rebecca Crockett
