Hundreds of people have signed a petition demanding a West End bus route be saved fromt the axe.

First Glasgow has annouced the 4A service will stop a Broomhill and will no longer serve Kelvindale, Anniesland and Knightswood - leaving local people with no direct route into the city.

Kelvindale community council set up a petition calling on the bus giant to urgently reconsider the decision and within hours it had been signed by almost 700 people.

Malcolm Balfour, the transport spokesperson for the SNP group in the City Chambers, worked as a bus driver for 12 years. 

Read more: Calls for plans to west end bus route to be scrapped

He is furious at the decision by the bus operator to cut services from Kelvindale and Govan and to reduce services from Drumchapel and Maryhill.

First has said it can only provide services where there is a clear demand for them and says the decision to cut routes should be seen against a backdrop of decreasing passenger numbers across Glasgow and beyond, brought about by the increasing car usage and congestion. 

But Mr Balfour ahs recealed he is unhappy with the decision of the bus operator. 

He said: "The amount of cuts in bus services in Glasgow beggars belief. These cuts to vital services are being driven by money."

"Glasgow's bus network is suffering by a thousand cuts as First Glasgow blames everyone but themselves for their loss of revenue. It is a public service and should not just be run for profit."

"First says it can only provide services is there is a demand for them but I believe in some cases they could reduce the size of the vehicles they are using."

"For example, if they are using a double decker on routes which are not busy after 7pm, why not put on a smaller bus?"

"However, it all comes down to cash and over the last few years, First has increased fares on more than one occasion."

"It should not just be about cash but about a responsibility to the public who use their buses."

Mr Balfour said the SNP group is working on proposals which could bring significant improvements to local journeys and help make established routes more attractive.

Details of the plans are being kept under wraps until the Nationalists reveal their manifesto for the council elections next year. 

Read more: Calls for plans to west end bus route to be scrapped

A spokesman for the bus operator said: "First Glasgow is committed to running viable services and working in partnership to encourage bus patronage. Our own efforts to run a sustainable service on the section of the 4A route date back almost seven years and we have finally had to accept that these steps have not had the desired effect on passenger numbers."

"Factors including congestion, car usage and modal shift to other transport have had an undeniably negative effect on patronage as the recent Green Journeys report by Professor David Begg has made clear."