MSP Adam Tomkins is renewing his call for First Bus Glasgow to stop the scrapping of a “lifeline” bus service.

As told in the Evening Times earlier this month, Mr Tomkins was one of a number of politicians asking for plans to cut the 4/4A bus route to be halted.

Now he is urging west end constituents to sign his petition asking the bus giant to reconsider the scheme.

In a leaflet sent out across the west end, the Conservative MSP for Glasgow Region says: “At present, First Bus are unwilling to change their plans, but with your support we can encourage them to change their mind.

“Many local residents rely on the service and I want to do everything we can to retain it.

“Please sign my petition.”

Read more: Bus firm under pressure to save route from axe

Mr Tomkins’s move comes after 2700 people signed an online petition, which we told about in yesterday’s Evening Times.

Local Valerie Gauld launched her petition in response to First Bus plans to scrap the west end section of the route covered by the 4A bus.

From October 23, the 4A service will terminate at Broomhill and will no longer serve Kelvindale, Anniesland and Knightswood.

Residents say those living in Kelvindale will be particularly badly hit as this is their only direct route to the city centre.

Ms Gauld’s petition also states that pupils from Cleveden Secondary School and St Thomas Aquinas Secondary school will be hit by the changes as well as university students and those travelling to the city centre to shop.

To get into town, people will have to catch a bus to Anniesland, cross Great Western Road and head back into town.

Mr Tomkins said: “I was delighted to see that 2000 people have signed an online petition to save the threatened 4/4A bus service in Kelvindale.

“This has been the biggest issue in my inbox since becoming an MSP in May.

“I have now started my own paper petition in Kelvindale. I felt that many local residents wouldn’t have access to the internet and so their voices may not be hear.

“I am delighted to have received dozens of responses in the first 48 hours since they were delivered.

“I wrote to First Bus two weeks ago asking them to delay the implementation of their proposed changed on October 23 to allow for a full consultation process.

“This bus service is important to many people in the west end and I will continue to press First Bus Glasgow to ensure the people of Kelvindale do not lose something which many of them value greatly.”

Read more: Bus firm under pressure to save route from axe

Although Mr Tomkins is also calling for First Glasgow to launch a consultation, the firm is emphatic that consultation took place in 2013.

The firm says fewer and fewer customers have been using the route and numbers of passengers have been dwindling since 2009.

A First Glasgow spokesman said: “First Glasgow notes the petition and the comments we have received on this planned service change.

“The lack of patronage on this section of route has been an issue dating back to 2009 and our steps to address this included a local consultation in early 2013.

“Despite these efforts and more, we have been unsuccessful in encouraging more passengers on to this section of route and this should be seen against a backdrop of rising congestion and increasing car and rail usage.

The spokesman added that a new replacement service for the section of the route covered by the 4A will be introduced.

This will run every 30 minutes.

He added: “We have announced the introduction of a 30-minute service, the M4, as a replacement for this section of the route in Kelvindale and we believe this, alongside other public transport options, will meet the needs of customers.”