Tens of thousands of Glaswegians travel around Glasgow by bus each day - it's one of, if not the, most popular form of local public transport in the city used by Glaswegians.
Who can blame them? Glasgow has one of the best public transport systems in the country - as unreliable as they can sometimes be - there’s always options to get around, be it via subway, train, or bus. Even moreso now that McGill’s have partnered with First Bus to rescue the night bus service - which would have severely impacted Glasgow’s nightlife and public transport services at night.
Today we're looking at data exclusively on First Bus, the main operator of buses here in Glasgow - although other buses are available. The majority of the everyday routes in Glasgow are run by First. Other operators in Glasgow include: Citybus, Stagecoach, McGill’s, and JMB.
This list would not be possible without Wishaw Bus Spotter, Aidan Doyle, who provided many of the dramatic shots of the buses below - for more bus pics, check out his Flickr account. As far as bus spotters go, Aidan is one of the most popular in Scotland - with his pictures of buses reaching upwards of 1.5m lifetime views online since he began the account in 2016.
Want to find out the best (and worst) bus routes in the city? Check out our article: The 12 best and worst bus routes of Glasgow as chosen by Glaswegians.
Here are the busiest bus services in Glasgow, ranked by average daily passenger numbers:
1. 38
The 38, Newton Mearns / Eastwood Toll to Glasgow Fort, and all its variants (38A, B, and C) is the busiest bus in Glasgow - tied with the number 2
2. 2
The number 2 bus from Faifley to Baillieston/ Airdrie via Glasgow City Centre is the joint first busiest bus in Glasgow - with an average daily passenger count of around 15,000.
3. Number 1
The 1 (formerly known as the 204) and all its variants (1a, b, c, d, and e) are the second busiest buses in Glasgow with an average daily passenger count of around 13,000. Photo: Public Transport Experience
4. 57 & 57A
The number 57 - Silverburn / Kennishead to Auchinairn / Balornock - is the third busiest bus in Glasgow, with an average daily passenger count of around 12,000.