Glasgow City Council to consider bringing back waterfront pontoons amid calls for river bus return

The council is to investigate potentially bringing waterfront pontoons back into use again with the possibility of a river bus being launched in Glasgow.

City Councillor Graham Campbell has been calling for the return of Clyde ferries for transport again.

Boats carrying people over the water were once a common sight but the last service came to an end last year when the Renfrew Ferry was pulled.

Speaking at last week’s council economy, housing, transport and regeneration city policy committee SNP Councillor Campbell said: “I’m very much a champion of getting us back to having a river bus, having river travel and having the river as a transit mechanism and people being able to access it again”.

He asked if a development of Custom House would allow that to be possible and form part of considerations.

An official said bringing activity and use back to the riverfront makes having a river bus more viable.

Another officer said an investigation into a small business case on the possibility of using pontoons has been approved.

She said the operation of a river bus would involve working with other authorities.

The Clyde was once busy with vessels transporting passengers in the past with 11 ferries reportedly operating in the 1850s.