Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

[CSB0241]

Up at the SVBM over the weekend they were selling off Lothian bus timetable booklets for Fiver, dated 2022. What is the story as to why they were never given out to the public?

Were they really never given out to the public? Feels like an odd thing to spend their money on, especially since they are relatively high quality (obviously they aren’t hardback, but for a paperback timetable book they feel relatively premium - I happen to have one of these booklets myself, got one at an event back in April).

 

[Dfatcontroller]

What would that have to do with 2022?

Perhaps still closed - ergo, no ability to distribute physical timetables.

 

[Bus9120UK]

Perhaps still closed - ergo, no ability to distribute physical timetables.

They were open I believe. It would've been even more so unusual to produce them if the Travelhubs were closed at the time.

It was thought that Lothian had moved away from preparing these leaflets post-covid but clearly they had printed a batch before they opted not to use them. I'm guessing it was only shortly after printing the decision was made that these would be phased out. So perhaps it was a decision made to prevent confusion by bringing them back for one round of changes only for them to disappear again.
I suppose now some years have passed it's an easy way for the museum to get some bonus income.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Hello, I know this is off topic, but I wanted to quickly share another forum so it doesn't get lost.

Independent Bus Operators (Lothian Region)

Just thought I'd start this forum back up since the last one closed unexpectedly. Also because I wanted to run this by someone, does anyone know what route the 67 is by HCL? I tried googling it, but there is no trace of such a route online, any help would be appreciated!

www.railforums.co.uk

The last independent operators in the Lothians forum closed so I made a new one, hope enough folk can see this before it gets deleted!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 12:10 ==

Princes Street is apparently reopening this Saturday

 

[paravostok]

Hello, I know this is off topic, but I wanted to quickly share another forum so it doesn't get lost.

Independent Bus Operators (Lothian Region)

Just thought I'd start this forum back up since the last one closed unexpectedly. Also because I wanted to run this by someone, does anyone know what route the 67 is by HCL? I tried googling it, but there is no trace of such a route online, any help would be appreciated!

www.railforums.co.uk

The last independent operators in the Lothians forum closed so I made a new one, hope enough folk can see this before it gets deleted!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 12:10 ==

Princes Street is apparently reopening this Saturday

Only took them the entire fringe

 

[route101]

They were open I believe. It would've been even more so unusual to produce them if the Travelhubs were closed at the time.

It was thought that Lothian had moved away from preparing these leaflets post-covid but clearly they had printed a batch before they opted not to use them. I'm guessing it was only shortly after printing the decision was made that these would be phased out. So perhaps it was a decision made to prevent confusion by bringing them back for one round of changes only for them to disappear again.
I suppose now some years have passed it's an easy way for the museum to get some bonus income.

Lothian just print a network map for the city routes. There is still timetables for Lothian Country and East Coast buses, they were available the last time I went into the office next to Waverley.

 

[nathanchansc]

The reason for the push back was the proposed bus gate being switched from peak times to 7-7-7.

Having recently moved into the area I can genuinely see the bus gate working with the 7-7-7 times. General traffic would need to go via a new junction at Craig’s Road, which in my opinion works better than the Turnhouse junction itself.
For the sake of getting buses here I’d take the bus gate and move on.

In my opinion it's not the best option to get the 31 into the area. The journey from East Craigs to the city centre is lengthy enough and it's not the most efficient way to put a long route into the area with probably only a handful number of passengers using it.

I would think they should just put one bus in the area doing a local circular for residents to connect at Maybury/Drum Brae South, with plenty of bus routes to the city centre. It can easily be at 30 minute intervals with 1 bus running. (Even better if they can offer free connection with the same contactless payment.)

If it really has to be a long route I would suggest getting half of the 26 terminating at Cammo via West Craigs - at least not all buses going there and the total journey time might still be ok without putting additional buses in.

 

[SoloSR334022]

I would think they should just put one bus in the area doing a local circular for residents to connect at Maybury/Drum Brae South, with plenty of bus routes to the city centre. It can easily be at 30 minute intervals with 1 bus running. (Even better if they can offer free connection with the same contactless payments.

Like an improved 68?

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Like an improved 68?

Ain't the 32 planning to run via West Craig's too?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Ain't the 32 planning to run via West Craig's too?

It is planned to, yes.

Looking at it logically. There’s little need for the 68 to be serving West Craigs also once the 31 and 32 finally pick it up. Provided the 32 could pick up the short stretch up to Turnhouse, the 68 may as well go straight from the Gyle to the eastern half of Craigs Road.

Such a move would allow the 68 to return to hourly, adding an additional journey per day.

Time will tell how long this saga goes on for with the bus gate, but eventually it will happen.

 

[DespacitoPlayz]

Who actually travels to Turnhouse? I've been on the 68 a handful of times and never seen a single person get on or off there.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

Who actually travels to Turnhouse? I've been on the 68 a handful of times and never seen a single person get on or off there.

Perhaps the people who work there?

 

[gavin1985]

Who actually travels to Turnhouse? I've been on the 68 a handful of times and never seen a single person get on or off there.

People most likely don’t get that bus because it’s not Lothian and or that it’s hourly.
Granted same goes with the 32, though its route is more appealing. In my opinion I’d most likely use the 32 sometimes heading to Barnton and Cramond, for us the 31 will come handy for the zoo which we have memberships with.
I did suggest to the local councillor about having the 17 rerouted along Craig’s Road heading along Turnhouse Road for the airport, mainly beneficial to Craigmount High and bypass the disaster zone that is Gogar. Plus no requirement for the bus gate at all. They thought it was a good idea and putting it to Lothian who plan to have a chat with about it.

 

[overthewater]

Turnhouse is one of those weird places which still clings onto a bus service because it had a service before deregulation, I think it was a Lothian 48? There is a few places around the Central belt which are like that, I still don't get it.

Someone must still be using it as, why else has it been kept on this long.

 

[gavin1985]

Turnhouse is one of those weird places which still clings onto a bus service because it had a service before deregulation, I think it was a Lothian 48? There is a few places around the Central belt which are like that, I still don't get it.

Someone must still be using it as, why else has it been kept on this long.

In all fairness there is thousands of new houses in the process of being built. When bought our house at the Craigs Road side we were told the 31 would come along. So I suspect many folk are impatiently waiting for the bus.
Considering they are also faffing about with a footbridge over the railway which would be a direct route to the train/tram stations and should save around 5 mins at least of the walk to either station. A bridge that was also meant to be built last year apparently.

 

[overthewater]

In all fairness there is thousands of new houses in the process of being built. When bought our house at the Craigs Road side we were told the 31 would come along. So I suspect many folk are impatiently waiting for the bus.
Considering they are also faffing about with a footbridge over the railway which would be a direct route to the train/tram stations and should save around 5 mins at least of the walk to either station. A bridge that was also meant to be built last year apparently.

In all fairness were talking about a location that up until after covid was just fields and countryside.

I wonder if Lothian should speak with Sestran and get some of that lovely money and started a new route, Eg like the brand new 28. They could have new 41 run it every 30mins from west craigs - Princes street.

 

[DunsBus]

In all fairness were talking about a location that up until after covid was just fields and countryside.

I wonder if Lothian should speak with Sestran and get some of that lovely money and started a new route, Eg like the brand new 28. They could have new 41 run it every 30mins from west craigs - Princes street.

The same location was well served by buses - albeit green and cream Eastern Scottish ones - until 1973. Turnhouse Road is the former line of the A9 and it was severed between Turnhouse and Boathouse Bridge in that year to make way for the main runway at Edinburgh Airport. It was left to Edinburgh Corporation Transport to provide a replacement service for Turnhouse.
Prior to deregulation, it was served by service 85 during the day and by service 31 at nights and on Sundays.