Private Transport

Contents

1. Cycling
   1. Taxis
   2. Motorbikes
   3. Driving
      1. Car parking on Campus
      2. Car Sharing to Save Costs
      3. Car Hire
   4. Route Planning
   5. Glasgow University Cycling Community
   6. Where to find a Bike
   7. Places where you can buy second hand bikes
   8. Other places where you can find second hand bikes.
   9. Bike Hire
   10. Cycle Safety and Parking

Cycling

Cycling can be a cheap and healthy way of getting around. Glasgow City Council has just completed their consultation exercise on a Strategic Plan for Cycling 2015–2025. For more information about the plan and what is on the cards for cyclists in future, please see Strategic Plan for Cycling 2015–2025.

The Univeristy is now offering free membership of the OVO bike hire scheme to all students. You can find out more information here, and sign up for the free membership by following the steps outlined here.

Route Planning

Glasgow City Council, as well as Sustrans provide good maps for cyclists that are available online for all cyclists. Cyclists should ensure that they are obeying all road rules and for their own safety, wearing reflective vests, helmets and functioning bicycle lights are advised to increase visibility in the dark and also in poor weather. Sustrans provides cycle maps for longer bicycle rides outside of Glasgow.

Glasgow is on the National Cycle Route. Please see the Sustrans site for maps and information of the extended national route.

Glasgow University Cycling Community

Check out Glasgow University Bicycle User Group GUBUG on Facebook.

Where to find a Bike

If you want to buy a new bike, or a second hand one, or hire a bike short-term, there are a number of stores in the Glasgow area which should be able to help.

Some central stores in Glasgow where you can buy new bikes

• Alpine Bikes, Couper Street, Glasgow
• Bike Chain, Dumbarton Road, Glasgow
• Dales Bikes, Dobbies Loan, Glasgow
• Evans Cycles, Bath Street, Glasgow
• Gear Bikes, Gibson Street, Glasgow
• Halfords

Places where you can buy second hand bikes

Instead of buying a new bicycle it is possible to get used or second hand bikes to protect our environment even further. Affordable used bicycles can be found at Bike for Good, in Finnieston. Bike for Good also provides a service where you can learn to fix your own bike.

Other places where you can find second hand bikes.

Check the ideas on the University website – second-hand bikes

And if you want to bypass the shops, you can find private sales or be lucky enough to find a giveaway on Ebay, Glasgow Gumtree and Glasgow Freecycle.

Bike Hire

• Nextbike –  You may have seen Nextbike Stations around the city. There is one on University Avenue.  Staff and students at Glasgow University can get free registration for their bike hire scheme and so are entitled to free 30 minutes bike rides around the city, and only 50 pence per additional 30 minutes! This is a great opportunity to commute via bike for free and to go on cheap bike adventures with your friends around the city and beyond.
• Alpine Bikes, Couper Street, Glasgow
• Gear Bikes, Gibson Street, Glasgow

Cycle Safety and Parking

If you want to insure your bike, first check your home insurance to see if it is already covered. Also, you may need to invest in an approved bike lock. See the University’s webpage on insurance and bike security here.

Always cycle safely, and wear helmets and high visibility clothing. It helps to know the Highway Code Rules 59–82 and know what the rules of the road are regarding cyclists, cycling and pedestrians, and what you can and cannot do when you are on two wheels.  Also see this useful guide by BikeParts.

Etiquette is important on the road, and the Go Bike! — Strathclyde’s cycle campaign has some useful cycle tips and links for safety on the road and bike etiquette.

You can park your bike for free on campus, and there are also showers for cyclists. Don’t forget to secure your bike with a sturdy lock: Campus cycle parking facilities.

Getting around Gilmorehill Campus (map).

Driving

If you do have a car, and do have to drive, then make sure you find ways to be greener, use less fuel and help keep costs down, or perhaps even share costs of journeys.

There are some ways you can try to be greener and keep costs to a minimum. If you are looking to buy a new car, you should consider fuel efficiency.

See the Which Guide for advice on which models are cheapest to run.

• Green driving — more sustainable travel by car
• Energy Saving trust driving tips
• Money Saving Expert 50 tips for drivers

If you are considering going electric, the Electric Car Community has its own Facebook page.

Information on driving, cycling and motorcycling safely can be found at Road Safety Scotland.

Car parking on Campus

On-campus parking is allowed for permit holders. Please see the Central Services webpages for parking regulations and information on permits.

Car Sharing to Save Costs

Another option is to arrange travel sharing with other commuters, drivers or passengers. Glasgow University has its own webpage on journey sharing — Glasgow Uni Journey Share scheme

In addition there is local journey share scheme SPT Liftshare

It may sound obvious but always be very careful when meeting strangers, or choosing people to travel with. Take proper precautions before either accepting a lift from someone that you do not know well, or accepting a passenger into your own vehicle.

Car Hire

As well as the usual commercial car hire companies which exist in most cities, Glasgow also has a car club service – Co Wheels Car Club – which is a social enterprise. Car clubs differ from ordinary car rental, particularly as you can book the vehicle short-term at an hourly rate, and the cars have their own allocated pick-up and parking spaces around the city.

To see how the system works, information where the cars are located, what it costs to join and how to use a car club vehicle, please see Glasgow Co Wheels Car Club

Alternatively, Enterprise Car Club is a commercial car club operating in Glasgow. Enterprise also has car spaces around the city and you can hire at an hourly rate.

Motorbikes

Motorcycle Safety Road Safety Scotland and Motorbike Parking on Campus.

Taxis

Black taxi cabs can be picked up at most times in the University area and the city centre. You can also phone for a black taxi cab on 0141 429 7070.

Looking for a private hire taxi? Find one on Yell.

The ride-hailing app Uber is now available for use in Glasgow.  It can potentially be cheaper than a taxi, especially for passengers who are travelling outside of Glasgow and would traditionally incur an extra fee known as a boundary charge, whereas Uber is charged per mile plus a fixed starting cost.

Be safe when travelling by taxi – check that the car which comes to pick you up is from the firm that you called.  If it’s a genuine taxi it will have a taxi licence plate displayed and the driver should have identification.  Don’t give your name, but ask them who they are picking up.  If you are at all suspicious that this isn’t your taxi, don’t get in.

Emergency Taxi Scheme

If you have no money but feel unsafe walking home, or it is too far, then we run a scheme in association with Glasgow Taxis. It consists of these three simple steps:

1. Call 0141 429 7070, quoting ‘Get Home Safe’ and ‘GU1’, and give the operator your Surname and GUID. Always be sure to check that the registration on the car matches the one you have received in your message from the taxi firm.
2. Once you arrive home, sign the driver’s receipt and hand over your student card as payment.
3. Wait 24 hours and come and collect your student card from the SRC Welcome Point and pay for your taxi fare.

Don’t worry if you haven’t got your student card — you can still use this scheme to get home. Ring 0141 429 7070, quoting ‘Get Home Safe’ and ‘GU1’ explaining that you have no student card and ask for the operator on the line to contact the University Gatehouse (0141 330 4282), who will then be able to confirm your student status. Once confirmed the taxi will be sent to pick you up.