In Glasgow, there is a drive to get more people using public transport, and in many cases that means the bus.

But there is a conundrum to be solved.

People say they don’t use the bus because it is not efficient, it is too slow and doesn’t turn up when it is supposed to.

There is a truth in those reasons. Bus journey times are slower and as a result, they can very often be late.

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How many times have you stood staring at the electronic display when the information counts down from ‘5 minutes’, ‘4 minutes’ etc to ‘due’ and is stuck at ‘due’ for a long time?

One of the reasons is the bus is stuck in traffic congestion. The bus is waiting in a line of traffic, including cars, vans and other buses.

The conundrum is buses are slow because of congestion. Congestion is caused by too many cars but people are reluctant to give up the car because the bus is too slow. How do you break that pattern?

On main roads where there are usually four lanes - two going each way - there is, most of the time, only one available for traffic in each direction.

The other is filled with parked cars.

So, should we ban cars altogether from being parked on what are the main bus routes in and out of the city centre?

Main arterial routes include Great Western Road and Dumbarton Road in the northwest.

Edinburgh Road, Duke Street and London Road in the east.

Paisley Road West in the southwest.

Kilmarnock Road and Pollokshaws Road in the south.

Maryhill Road in the north.

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There are bus lanes on parts of these routes and restrictions on parking on some at different times of the day.

But still, buses are caught in traffic and often passengers look out the window and there is a row of parked cars taking up, when you add it all up, miles of public main road space.

Or a car parked in a bus lane.

Space intended for the public to move around, occupied by the private vehicle of one person.

Any suggestions like more bus lanes are often characterised as a “war on motorists”.

Yesterday, in Glasgow, transport bosses made the case for more space on the road for buses.

Speaking at a Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Glasgow Talks event on transport in the city, three key figures in the public transport sector highlighted a big challenge facing bus operators and ultimately passengers.

Duncan Cameron, Managing Director of First Bus in Scotland, said we need to “value the bus”.

One way of valuing the services, he said is to “get the bus out of congestion”.

The power of the ‘war on motorist’ rhetoric can be seen in his further comment on the matter when he added politicians are “too scared to say to drivers you can’t park in that bus lane.”

He attempted to convince car drivers that bus lanes are good for them too.

The bus firm boss said: “Put the bus in front of the car. Fares would be cheaper and more people would use it”, which he said would mean “less congestion for the existing car users that remain”.

Valerie Davidson, Chief Executive of SPT, voiced the frustration of bus passengers when she said: “We need to change the conversation. She said she is often “Sitting in a bus in a bus lane with a car in front of me".

She continued: “The bus can’t run if there’s a car parked in the bus lane.”

Ms Davidson concluded: “We need to give road space to public transport.”

Fiona Doherty, Managing Director of Stagecoach West Scotland, also recognised the challenge facing bus operators and authorities trying to get people to switch from car to bus.

Even though Stagecoach is a commercial firm competing with other operators she said the “biggest competitor is the private car”.

She said: “We need to deal with congestion. If the choice is an hour and a half on the bus or 40 minutes in the car, I’ll take the car.”

Everyone wants their journey to be the quickest, uninterrupted and congestion-free, whether they are sitting in a car, a taxi or the bus.

The challenge for city planners is to ensure that where there is priority afforded to public transport, it is in the right places and there is the right balance.