Tony Gall has spent decades helping keep our city moving
Tony Gall, Merseytravel bus station team leader at Queen Square
Tony Gall, Merseytravel bus station team leader at Queen Square(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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Long before Liverpool One reshaped the city centre and real-time information screens became a familiar sight at bus stations, commuters waited beneath the iconic "bubble" bus stops at Queen Square.
One of the biggest changes to Liverpool city centre in recent memory was the demolition of the Roe/Hood Street Gyratory to build Queen Square bus station in 1996. The old gyratory was known locally as the 'bubble bus stops' due to the curved plastic design of its shelters, which spanned the length of both Roe and Hood Street.
For Tony Gall, those memories feel like yesterday. The Anfield-born Merseytravel bus station hub team leader has spent more than three decades at the heart of Liverpool's transport network, witnessing the city evolve from deregulation and "bus wars" to the modern, bustling destination it is today.
Tony Gall has spent more than three decades at the heart of Liverpool's transport network
Tony Gall has spent more than three decades at the heart of Liverpool's transport network(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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From helping stranded passengers and vulnerable travellers to managing transport during some of Liverpool's biggest events, Tony has had a front-row seat for the city's transformation. Now 64 and flexibly retired, Tony spoke with the ECHO about how he’s spent more than 30 years helping to keep Liverpool moving.
He told the ECHO: “I joined Merseytravel in September 1993 when Queen Square was known as the gyratory, or the bubble bus stops. We were basically passenger information and cleaners in the early days. It was very much a new role. I only knew one bus route, which was the 14 to Anfield, so when people were coming up to me and saying I need to get here I need to get there I didn’t have a clue at first.
“One of the reasons we were brought in during that period was what was referred to as the bus wars. Queen Square used to have three lanes in and three lanes out at the time, and we’d have probably around 12 different bus operators competing.
Buses at Roe Street on 28th August 1995(Image: Mirrorpix)
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“This was post deregulation, so we’d have buses that would sit at a bus stop and just load up and take all the revenue, and then there’d be a queue of buses behind it. The city would be gridlocked. So part of our role was to get the buses moving, which was difficult at first. It was nothing like it is now.”
At that point, the hotels, offices and developments that now surround Queen Square were still years away, and Tony has witnessed first hand the dramatic changes to Liverpool itself, from the construction of Liverpool ONE to Capital of Culture in 2008, the Giant Spectaculars, and countless city-centre events, including the very first Mathew Street Festival and Liverpool Pride.
Yet, through decades of regeneration, cultural milestones, and major events, Tony has remained a familiar face, helping passengers get where they need to go and navigate not only buses and stations but the city itself.
Tony Gall outside Queen's Square Centre
Tony Gall outside Queen's Square Centre(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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He said: "We deal with passenger inquiries, health and safety, first aid, safeguarding and helping vulnerable people. Sometimes we're giving bus information, other times we're helping tourists find the Cavern or the waterfront or assisting someone who's become separated from their family.
"People might think you're just walking around the station, but there's always something happening. When roads close, buses break down, or major events take place, we have to move passengers quickly and safely. It can only take one road being clogged, and the whole city centre can be gridlocked. So many people rely on the buses and the stations and use them every single day. It’s a massive part of our city and how it runs.
“So you're always helping people, solving problems and making sure everything keeps moving.
"A lot of people still want to speak to somebody face-to-face. They want to come in and ask questions, report problems or just get advice.
Night time scene in the Roe Street gyratory in central Liverpool, as buses block the carriageway.
The gyratory was known for its "bubble bus stops".
Circa 1990.
Night time scene in the Roe Street gyratory in central Liverpool, as buses block the carriageway. The gyratory was known for its "bubble bus stops". Circa 1990.(Image: Mirrorpix)
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“I really enjoy giving information and helping to deal with things. You do get a sense of pride when you’ve helped direct someone, and if they come back to thank you.”
That sense of service mirrors something many people from Liverpool recognise in their city - a willingness to help others, and over the years, Tony has seen visitors arrive with misconceptions about Liverpool, only to leave with a very different impression.
He said: "A lot of people come to the city with a stereotype of it, but we’ve had visitors who have come to us for help and information that have come back and said they didn’t realise what this city is about and that they’ll definitely return and thanked us for our service, which is always nice. So you feel proud that you’re doing your job right.
“I love working for a city that I love. I still enjoy it after all these years. I’m born and bred here. I always say Liverpool is my life, it’s my love, and it’s my home. Helping the people of the city region is what I've always enjoyed most."