Lothian buses

[90019]

As to the fare increase I don't know what it is to be, but it's around the start of April - you will notice that for the past few weeks they have been busy removing all the yellow "DAY TICKET £3" adverts from the front of buses...

No one knows what the fares will be going up to apart from those high up at Lothian.
Not even the drivers know yet.
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Ahh, they're pretty common on the 44, makes you wonder how they get any passengers at all when there's the modern low floor shiny newly repainted nicer-looking lothian 44s.

The Firstbus 44s go to certain destinations more frequently than the Lothian ones, also passengers will quite often just get on whichever bus turns up first (cue racing and missing stops when you get a Lothian and a First bus running close together )

There's been rumours the past couple of days that First have got some Citaros, not sure for what routes, but I don't know how true that is yet.

 

[Blindtraveler]

you couldnt spueez anyone else onto the 26 if you tried! I'm in portobello and its usually full when it gets to me, esp since first scrapped the best of there city runs the 129. Its also near the city end of the 49 which could definately be a viable replacement for first midlothian runs as long as they put some deckers on it as its a vvv busy run and despite the extras last timetable it suffers from bad overcrouding often. doubt lothian would want some of the X runs for dunbar etc but 15s could potentially run to somewhere like haddington as done during the bus wars. I'm sure an opperation like eves coaches could take some quieter runs and maybe even some northberwicks and maybe even the musselburgh - penicuiks? There doin a grand job with the 128. If they were to give it to perrimans they'de need some better vehicles. If, as is most likely though first do stay, some new vehicles are a must for east lothian runs esp the expresses which have since the january cuts gained larger vehicles but lost accessibilitty in some cases and yes, the old deckers have to go! Perhaps they'll buy some tridents off lothian when there new deckers start ariving?

 

[route101]

Ahh, they're pretty common on the 44, makes you wonder how they get any passengers at all when there's the modern low floor shiny newly repainted nicer-looking lothian 44s.

Yeah i always wonderr how they can run this service. First Glasgows 44 is better e500s and Geminis Eaglesham/Newton Mearns to Knightswood.

 

[Eng274]

Yeah i always wonderr how they can run this service. First Glasgows 44 is better e500s and Geminis Eaglesham/Newton Mearns to Knightswood

you couldnt spueez anyone else onto the 26 if you tried!

Wonder if First Glesca could be persuaded to trade e500s for Geminis..? I think they'd be a good break from the monotony of Wrights in Edinburgh :roll:

 

[Tom B]

There are E400s coming to Lothian in May, I believe.

 

[Blindtraveler]

for what route?

There are E400s coming to Lothian in May, I believe.

 

[90019]

They're gettting 15 E400Hs for the 10 is what I've been told.

 

[Blindtraveler]

that plus the 60 geminis is gunna make a big inroad into the tridents! happy days!

 

[Eng274]

i was under the impression that they were happy with the fleet after the introduction of the new airlink 100 buses, and that investment in new buses was being slowed down..?

 

[Blindtraveler]

same. Was surprised last year to see around november time an item on there website Re 60 new deckers delivery between now and next year! Cant say im grumbling, much prefer the geminis anyway. Quieter and more cumfortable! Lets see how the e400s do, hoping better than the x airport deckers on 35s, there dreadfull!

 

[route101]

Wonder if First Glesca could be persuaded to trade e500s for Geminis..? I think they'd be a good break from the monotony of Wrights in Edinburgh :roll:

Haha nae chance First Glasgow only have around 11 . Nice Buses but gets used only on the 44 or 75 .

 

[90019]

same. Was surprised last year to see around november time an item on there website Re 60 new deckers delivery between now and next year! Cant say im grumbling, much prefer the geminis anyway. Quieter and more cumfortable! Lets see how the e400s do, hoping better than the x airport deckers on 35s, there dreadfull!

The last of the Olympians (in the driver training fleet) are being phased out this year and replaced by Tridents.
I would assume that the 15 E400Hs are included in the 60 new buses, unless it specifically says 60 Geminis.

 

[Blindtraveler]

news item on there site today, adult single 1.30, daysaver 3.20, ridercard 16 per week or 48 per month, direct debbit 45 quid. It also says 75 new vehicles now, so thats 60 geminis and 15 e400 hibrids. Wil be interesting to see how they do. Good thing tridents are going to training. Wonder if first wil buy some?

 

[WestCoast]

news item on there site today, adult single 1.30, daysaver 3.20, ridercard 16 per week or 48 per month, direct debbit 45 quid

Still cheap I have to say, although locals don't see it that way.

 

[Blindtraveler]

friends and familly far and wide come here and cannot believe how cheep it is. Was expecting worse actually.

 

[WestCoast]

friends and familly far and wide come here and cannot believe how cheep it is. Was expecting worse actually.

That is very true, for my old 25 minute bus commute on a Stagecoach bus they charged £4.10 for a single and £3.90 for a day ticket :? They wouldn't offer the cheaper day ticket automatically! I take the train now.

 

[Tom B]

Yet another route diverted today, Princes Street shut for tramworks. Sigh.

 

[Blindtraveler]

the list of current diversions is mind boggling! Also question why not yet 12 month old tram tracks need repairs? Equally, noted tfl announcing one of 3 bidders for extra trams for croiden is carf/city of edinburgh. Selling units we dont need due to shortened route? selling the whole bluddy lot so we can just scrap the whole crazy plan? Wel whatever happens, if the pic this bid then the vehicles will belivered to them 2 years late, over budget by millions and with a side order of an industrial dispute over who delivers them and how big a cut they get for the pleasure!

 

[90019]

Yet another route diverted today, Princes Street shut for tramworks. Sigh.

Again!?
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the list of current diversions is mind boggling! Also question why not yet 12 month old tram tracks need repairs?

They've had to be repaired at least once already (Possibly twice? Can't remember).

 

[Eng274]

The road surface is in appalling condition, huge holes inches deep in places along the rail edges. All because the cooncil had a pre-set date to re-open Princes Street for christmas shopping in 2009, and the re-laying was running behind schedule, so was rushed and badly done.

And which nitwit though of putting cobbles on bits of Princes Street?

I do not know much about the load tolerances of the tram rails, but the road sinking and dissolving alongside means the rails are exposed and are possibly experiencing greater pressure on the railhead from the couple hundred buses an hour that run over them, than with a properly laid even surface.

 

[Blindtraveler]

that says it all. Done on the cheep but costing a fortune!

 

[Tom B]

I'm pretty sure there have been at least 5 blockades to repair bits over the past 18 months or so - and how many trams have turned a wheel?

 

[Blindtraveler]

perhaps selling them off to london is an even better idea now.