Claims rise in abandoned shopping trollies in Ferguslie result of axed McGills bus service

Cutting a bus service has impacted the number of abandoned shopping trolleys scattered across Ferguslie, a community leader has said.

Concerns have been raised about the volume of carts deserted in residential areas – with as many as 17 counted in Ferguslie Park Avenue recently.

Last month, councillor Janis McDonald, who described them as a “persistent problem”, said they were a sign that “many things are worsening” during the cost of living crisis.

This week, Terry McTernan, chair of Ferguslie Community Council, said changes to bus services, which kicked in at the beginning of May, have had an effect.

McGill’s Buses removed the 64 route and replaced it with the 7A, which runs between Paisley and Phoenix Retail Park via Ferguslie Park.

Mr McTernan, who is also project lead at Darkwood Crew, said: “I think it’s a bit of a double whammy because we’ve had that whole bus service replacement, which has been nothing short of a nightmare frankly.

“It’s not going according to plan.

“They took the 64 away and changed it to the 7A and it’s not as regular as perhaps it could or used to be.

“We’ve been a victim of our own success because people ordinarily would dump those trolleys in the park or the village green but because local people have worked hard to improve the area, they just find themselves on the main thoroughfare.

“Councillor McDonald pointed out Ferguslie Park Avenue specifically and for me what that signifies is the importance of the McGill’s Buses point.

“Prior to the weans going off school – I think the change kicked in at the start of May – that last month before they broke up, the amount of kids that were late for school was through the roof.

“It was because of these buses. The buses are terrible, so it doesn’t surprise me that we’ve got trolleys feathered all the way along what is the bus route.

“That confirms to me it’s a transport-based issue.”

Responding, a spokesperson for McGill’s said: “This route has been affected by a number of factors, one of which has been an intermittent driver shortage.

“Nine out of ten journeys are running and we are confident that this will be ten out of ten before the schools return.”

Councillor McDonald previously drew to the Trolleywise app, which allows users to report trolleys dumped in their community so they can be retrieved.

But Mr McTernan believes lessons can also be learned from other communities, who have shown initiative in response to the issue.

He explained: “Someone on the Team Up to Clean Up page has contacted the local supermarkets and managed to get a chain, you know how they all link together by the pound coin mechanism, they’ve got one of these.

“So there’s a focal point in the community, every time they find a trolley they collect them and keep them stored but then obviously use Trolleywise.

“I think that’s the solution. People will continue to behave the way they behave.

“There’s no point beating them with a stick over it.”