It aims to produce underground literature, but according to some writers, the only thing subversive about a plan to recruit a poet-in-residence for Glasgow's subway system is the pay.

The scheme, thought to be the first of its type for public transport in Scotland, aims to enhance the travelling experience and promote the enjoyment of poetry. Authors praised the creative ambition behind the project, but pointed out that the £13,500 stipend for the 40 hours a week, nine-month residency was at best equivalent to the minimum wage.

The job will involve selecting poems to display in subway stations from existing work and establishing reading and writing groups to study and produce poetry. The successful candidate, who must have a “substantial publication record”, will also be expected to conduct writing workshops in local schools.

A job description issued by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, which runs the Underground, said that the 40-hour contract would be divided to allow the poet-in-residence to spend half the time on his or her own work and the other half on SPT projects.

Catherine Czerkawska, a leading poet and playwright who had considered applying for the Glasgow residency, said that the scheme was brilliant but the salary was an insult to writers.

“When I researched the internet for what people on the railways earn, I found that a rolling stock delivery project manager can expect £400 to £500 per day. Yet the residency barely pays the minimum wage,” she said.

“What they want is the equivalent of a highly-skilled consultant, but if I am going to be paid the minimum wage I might as well work in Tesco stacking shelves where, when I am finished my day's work, I can go home with no responsibilities.” Ms Czerkawska said that the poor salary reflected the growing tendency in the public sector to view professional writers as a cheap teaching resource.

Transport bosses devised the scheme in conjunction with the Scottish Arts Council and the Scottish Poetry Library to build on the momentum of the first ever Glasgow subway festival last month.

It is similar to Poems on the Underground, a programme adopted by the London Underground system in 1986.

Under the London scheme, poems are exhibited in advertising spaces within the trains. Collections of the poems, which include classics by authors including Shakespeare, Wordsworth and even Robert Burns, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

A spokesman for SPT said: “We see this as a great opportunity for a poet to showcase their work and we believe their work will prove inspirational and thought-provoking to our customers. The appointment comes with a stipend which we believe is appropriate to the work required.”