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Bus latest

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    This could have gone in the "tram latest" thread but that would be the wrong place - in spite of the headline!

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/fears-edinburgh-bus-fare-rise-to-fund-tram-extension-1-4082100

    "

    Bus stops in Princes Street will be reshuffled with the aim of reducing delays and speeding up journey times.

    "

    (And other things.)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

  3. Klaxon
    Member

    One would think it was an ongoing policy to raise fares of singles and seasons every other year.

    Y'know, like they've done forever.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. gkgk
    Member

    More buses, just what Princes Street needs!

    Posted 7 years ago #
  5. gembo
    Member

    Lothian buses are still the cheapest in the country. Most drivers of late appear still to be letting me pass on the bike before pulling out from the stop. Not owned by right wing Christian SNP backing bigots either

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Compared to other city's LRT is one of the best and cheapest.

    With regards to the bus stops on princes street I presume they'll take out one stop per bus route. Rather than stopping 3 or 4 times they'll now stop 2 or 3.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. jdanielp
    Member

    At this point I would usually purchase several books of City Single tickets to keep me going at the current fare for another few years. It's a shame they're discontinued.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. crowriver
    Member

    If you have kids, still worth getting the city single carnets. Save two quid per twenty journeys...

    I shall be heading along for a few of them before the deadline.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The number 24 E&M Horsburgh-run service connects passengers between Juniper Green and St John’s Hospital in Livingston – to which most patients from the west of Edinburgh are referred.

    West Lothian Council has now withdrawn a £60,000 annual subsidy for the service, meaning it will be taken off the road from Sunday, April 10.

    Community leaders in Juniper Green, Currie and Balerno say elderly patients and people without cars now face using an alternative service, which takes an hour longer to reach the hospital.

    They also claimed they were not consulted because their communities fall under the jurisdiction of Edinburgh city council.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/health/st-john-s-hospital-bus-link-to-be-axed-1-4086756

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. AKen
    Member

    I'm not sure that this will be a huge loss. My wife investigated getting this bus as she had an appointment at St Johns but it runs so infrequently that she'd have had to get there about 2 hours before she was due at the clinic.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Service 24 timetabled for 45 minutes. A mix of Lothian Buses 45 to Riccarton then First Bus 40 or X40 takes 49 - 65 minutes. I'm not saying this is great state of affairs to see a direct bus withdrawn, but the Chipwrappers hyperbole of "takes an hour longer" is actually 4 - 20 minutes longer". They were similarly disingenuous about the service changes in Auchendinny last year (see A. N. Other thread)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  12. AKen
    Member

    45 doesn't serve Balerno though, so it could be an hour if you had to go into town to change bus.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  13. gembo
    Member

    I used the wee hospital bus once many years ago, it was OK as my clinic appointment fitted its schedule. I think it was Sky or some other Livingston based media/electronics company that was its final destination then. Going back about 15 years, as I am in this instance there was also a service once a day that came up from riccarton campus to Balerno In The morning just about 8a.m and then about 5 pm there was a return. I want to say it was a 25 old version.

    Cycle to St. John's now as fairly familiar with the routes of Livingston and unfortunately St. John's. Have taken the train from Waverley and cycled from the station - the path is well marked. I think Livingston north.?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  14. kaputnik
    Moderator

    45 doesn't serve Balerno though, so it could be an hour if you had to go into town to change bus.

    Yes admittedly that adds a trip on the 44 to get the 45 into the mix and pushes time up to the 65-85min level...

    I think part of the problem for the outerlying places on the fringes of municipal boundaries like Balerno is Lothian Buses keeping well out of West Lothian, so provides a good service but only heading east (was this not part of the "bus wars" peace deal with First?), First Bus only really interested in the profitable and predictable traffic along the main routes to from Livingston/Bathgate/Edinburgh etc.

    It's left up to the wee operators to run the routes that cross the de facto boundaries between First and Lothian territory and these are always at risk of the withdrawal of council subsidy.

    West Lothian has a small shareholding in Lothian Buses from the days when it was LRT even though LRT was really just Edinburgh Corporation Transport with new branding and it was Eastern Scottish / SMT and Midland Scottish / Bluebird who did most of the routes into West Lothian.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    If you go back far enough the Edinburgh corporation transport stopped at juniper green and you had to get off and catch a green bus, SMT probably? Before my time but had same in Ayr with this time SMT running Ayr and prestwick and a green bus AA going into the badlands of annbank, Mossblown etc.

    Returning to Juni green the two bus thang explains the bus tops 50 metres apart either side of Matt at Just Bike Repairs, 50 yards at the time when Juni green was the outer limit of edinburgh

    Posted 7 years ago #
  16. AKen
    Member

    I believe that the old terminus and turning circle for LRT buses in Juniper Green is where Iceland is now.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

  18. Fountainbridge
    Member

    I think that April Fool from the Spurtle will turn out to be partially true within the next 5 to 10 years. Will be prime real estate once St James Centre is finished.

    Could expand either Seafield or Longstone depots, or build a new depot out Danderhall way.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/14593750.Threatened_bus_routes_and_bus_depots_in_East_Lothian_saved/

    Lothian Buses stepping in where First Bus renages in East Lothian. Again.

    New company "East Lothian Buses" formed. I wonder what variation of the Lothian livery they will get. Musselburgh Corporation used to use red and white on their trams (The No. 15 was painted in these colours in the last days of the old high floor Leyland buses). Expect investment in decent buses and a service where users actually get to know the fare before they arrive at the bus stop.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    Article says "East Coast Buses Ltd" which may or may not be true

    https://companycheck.co.uk/company/02776541/EAST-COAST-BUSES-LIMITED/summary

    LB already running with LCB -

    http://www.lothianbuses.com/timetables-and-maps/lothian-country-buses

    Posted 7 years ago #
  21. Fountainbridge
    Member

    Sorry Edinburgh Council, as we had to fork out £20 mill on the depots and busses, we can no longer afford to pay your £25 mill special dividend.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin

    Link?

    "we can no longer afford to pay your £25 mill special dividend."

    Well, realistically better that the bus co spends its money improving things for customers before considering 'needs' of shareholders.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Chdot that's an old listing for a defunct company, Companies House has the new LB listing;

    https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC208702

    More intriguingly;

    "Previous company names
    LOTHIAN COUNTRY BUSES LIMITED 22 Aug 2013 - 27 Jun 2016"

    So they haven't formed a new company at all, they're renamed Lothian Country. I wonder if they will keep the LC branding and this is merely a holding company?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

    You missed some out!

    "

    Previous company names
    Name Period
    LOTHIAN COUNTRY BUSES LIMITED 22 Aug 2013 - 27 Jun 2016
    EDINBURGH SHUTTLE LIMITED 28 Sep 2006 - 22 Aug 2013
    EDINBURGH BUSES LIMITED 01 Nov 2001 - 28 Sep 2006
    THE OVERGROUND LIMITED 30 Jun 2000 - 01 Nov 2001

    "

    All a bit weird. L Country B seems fine to me.

    "East Coast" - they *must* be planning to move into Fife!(?)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Was Edinburgh Shuttle the taxi bus service to the airport that got the black cab trade in such a tizz?

    Seem to recall that at one point First Bus tried to brand as "The Overground" when they unleashed bendy buses on Edinburgh (only to get rid of them after not too long)

    Posted 7 years ago #
  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Saw a single decker parked up at Marine Garage (Seafield) this afternoon branded as "East Coast Buses". Much the same livery as Lothian Country, but in green and white rather than green and custard.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  27. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Update, it appears to be teal and white and not green and white.

    Timetables and fares have been announced; https://eastcoastbuses.co.uk/news/

    Posted 7 years ago #
  28. wangi
    Member

    How long till the bus garage at Musselburgh is shut for good? Those services obviously working out of the Marine Garage.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  29. gembo
    Member

    Never seen anyone getting on a bus at semple street but maybe possible from the far right lane. Will watch out for that causing lane jumping in addition to the cats at standad life who drive as if they own the roads and must get to work ahead of a bike, etc.

    Somehow the routes and fares are both straightforward (endpoint north Berwick via coast or endpoint Dunbar inland route) and at the same time quite complex - day tickets for different zones and further day ticket plus to link with Lothian buses or tram to airport.

    On the whole well done to Lothain buses for looking to make this work Where first bus could not.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  30. crowriver
    Member

    "On the whole well done to Lothain buses for looking to make this work Where first bus could not."

    Agreed.

    The zoning system echoes the London scheme. Makes sense. I suppose if West Lothian and southern Fife ever come into the orbit of Lothian Buses then that zoning will seem logical and straightforward.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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