Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[VioletEclipse]

Why would anyone go to the airport because theres a bus that goes there? Do people go to Hyvots Bank because the 33 goes there?

Good question actually, my bad. It just really annoys me when Lothian tweet stuff like 'jet off on holiday with our service 100', not that that gets many more people flying tho. Also I think you mean service 11 not 33

 

[VioletEclipse]

The only people who go places 'because a bus goes there' are bus enthusiasts like me to be honest

 

[ScotRail158725]

What tours are running? The only ones I see regularly are the city sightseeing one and the grubby old routemasters

CS, Edinburgh Tour & Majestic Tour (Lothian) and First Bright bus tours. No routemaster tour

 

[Jordan Adam]

CS, Edinburgh Tour & Majestic Tour (Lothian) and First Bright bus tours. No routemaster tour

Isn't there a night tour or something? I'm sure i've seen a black Routemaster going about in Edinburgh many times before advertising it.

Good question actually, my bad. It just really annoys me when Lothian tweet stuff like 'jet off on holiday with our service 100', not that that gets many more people flying tho. Also I think you mean service 11 not 33

In all fairness First Glasgow (500) and Stagecoach NScotland (11, 727, 747 & 757) do that with their Airport service. So it's not as if Lothian are the only ones doing it. Keep in mind the 100 has competition with the tram.

 

[VioletEclipse]

Isn't there a night tour or something? I'm sure i've seen a black Routemaster going about in Edinburgh many times before advertising it.



In all fairness First Glasgow (500) and Stagecoach NScotland (11, 727, 747 & 757) do that with their Airport service. So it's not as if Lothian are the only ones doing it. Keep in mind the 100 has competition with the tram.

True yes, Stagey and First do do it to a greater extent overall. Competing with the tram is basically competing with themselves so not exactly necessary.

 

[Darklord8899]

What tours are running? The only ones I see regularly are the city sightseeing one and the grubby old routemasters

There is also the 3 Bridges tour (Lothian)

Not Lothian:
Big Red Bus
Ghost Bus Tours

 

[Tom B]

CS, Edinburgh Tour & Majestic Tour (Lothian) and First Bright bus tours. No routemaster tour

Brightbus is an interesting name - it was also used by a very shady operator in S Yorks who ran a fleet of knackered Titans painted in a lurid green.

 

[scotrail158713]

Isn't there a night tour or something? I'm sure i've seen a black Routemaster going about in Edinburgh many times before advertising it.

I think that’s the Ghost Bus Tours mentioned by @Darklord8899

 

[Darklord8899]

Brightbus is an interesting name - it was also used by a very shady operator in S Yorks who ran a fleet of knackered Titans painted in a lurid green.

Yup, sounds like First

 

[scotrail158713]

Good question actually, my bad. It just really annoys me when Lothian tweet stuff like 'jet off on holiday with our service 100', not that that gets many more people flying tho. Also I think you mean service 11 not 33

I suppose it acts as a reminder to people that they don’t have to park their car at the airport - there is public transport available. Particularly useful for long haul flights.

 

[Darklord8899]

I think that’s the Ghost Bus Tours mentioned by @Darklord8899

The Ghost Bus runs at 18:00, 19:30 & 21:00 Daily at the moment

 

[Jordan Adam]

I think that’s the Ghost Bus Tours mentioned by @Darklord8899

Yeah after posting my comment that name came to my head. Seems quite a niche market.

 

[scotrail158713]

Yeah after posting my comment that name came to my head. Seems quite a niche market.

Yeah I think they have a lot of group bookings. I don’t think I’d want to do it on my own.

 

[VioletEclipse]

I suppose it acts as a reminder to people that they don’t have to park their car at the airport - there is public transport available. Particularly useful for long haul flights.

That's true, which is a good thing

 

[Jordan Adam]

Yeah I think they have a lot of group bookings. I don’t think I’d want to do it on my own.

Wouldn't shock me, i'm surprised Lothian are yet to try anything similar. Although as i say it seems a Niche market, so there's potentially not enough demand for competition. Never done it so couldn't comment on what it's like, however i suspect it'll either be really scare and/or full of corny jokes as these things tend to be!

 

[Darklord8899]

....I suspect that it will be more Scary Movie than Saw....

 

[oldman]

I think they have this completely the right way round, and are supporting the way the vast majority of likely contactless users would want it to go. It would have been nice if general payment was available as well, but honestly as long as they are working on it then they should have it sorted soon. it's not like they've taken something away from those users which they could do last week.

How do you compute your vast majority? Bearing in mind a lot of regular travellers have ridacards.

Comparing ticket purchase vs capping as the ONLY contactless available:

Expect to make only one journey today - small advantage to capping, no need to issue paper ticket
Expect to make 3+ journeys today - much the same - have to tap in each time but no need to show paper ticket
Not sure how many journeys today - capping wins

On the other hand

Wanting to buy tickets for more than one person, including children and family tickets, counting out substantial amounts of cash
May want to use multiple companies - pretty important in East Edinburgh, Musselburgh

 

[A330Alex]

Interiors looks lovely on them, nice to see the continued return to fabric seats.
Airline style lounge? Any idea how that would work, i'd have assumed given the frequency of the service such a thing wouldn't be needed.

I think it'll be part of the cafe area in the new 'TravelHub', apparently there will be free refreshments/snacks. Pop in, have a coffee/biscuit and then once you leave you'll have missed the 100 and have to wait another 8 minutes

Surely given that Lothian Buses only charge a set single fare there's no need to have the tap out option?

Was thinking more for LCB/ECB to deal with the various zones. Perhaps a tad advanced for the depths of the Lothians!

The Ghost Bus runs at 18:00, 19:30 & 21:00 Daily at the moment

Isn't there some sort of Routemaster food tour that runs as well? You can usually see the plume of black smoke before you see the bus...

 

[Darklord8899]

I think it'll be part of the cafe area in the new 'TravelHub', apparently there will be free refreshments/snacks. Pop in, have a coffee/biscuit and then once you leave you'll have missed the 100 and have to wait another 8 minutes

Was thinking more for LCB/ECB to deal with the various zones. Perhaps a tad advanced for the depths of the Lothians!

Isn't there some sort of Routemaster food tour that runs as well? You can usually see the plume of black smoke before you see the bus...

Yes, see my earlier post #3666 in this thread
Big Red Bus run a bistro bus, Harry Potter Tour and a couple of others

 

[scosutsut]

There is the red bus bistro, who's fumes aren't too bad that seems to be aimed at the gin/small cake affectionados of the world.

The ghost bus tour Routemaster that creates new ghosts everytime it fires up it puts out a horrendous plume of black smoke and I don't think it's for effect either.

There is also the 'haunted history bus' with some ALX400 bodied... something. 13N Waverley Bridge is vinyled over the destination blind.

Both those tours bill themselves as 'comedy horror' - a similar billing that could be given to Lothian's employee relations or First's pension deficit perhaps?

 

[A330Alex]

Yes, see my earlier post #3666 in this thread
Big Red Bus run a bistro bus, Harry Potter Tour and a couple of others

£35 for an Afternoon Tea tour! Think I'll stick to a meal deal on the 35 instead.

 

[route101]

£35 for an Afternoon Tea tour! Think I'll stick to a meal deal on the 35 instead.

Runs in Glasgow too.

 

[route101]

The only people who go places 'because a bus goes there' are bus enthusiasts like me to be honest

Im sure the concession pass holders take the tram or bus out to the Airport and have coffee at starbucks.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Runs in Glasgow too.

Do they operate a low cost version with Barbie liveried President's that goes through all the schemes? . Granted we're veering off topic here, but it sounds interesting even if it is rather expensive.

£35 for an Afternoon Tea tour! Think I'll stick to a meal deal on the 35 instead.

Likewise i think i'd rather spend my £35 on sometimes else! I can't imagine it's easy to drink boiling hot tea on a moving vehicle, especially not on Edinburgh's bumpy roads!

 

[Darklord8899]

Do they operate a low cost version with Barbie liveried President's that goes through all the schemes? . Granted we're veering off topic here, but it sounds interesting even if it is rather expensive.


Likewise i think i'd rather spend my £35 on sometimes else! I can't imagine it's easy to drink boiling hot tea on a moving vehicle, especially not on Edinburgh's bumpy roads!

I somehow suspect that it's geared for the poor unwitting tourist.... as us "locals" have more sense than to spend 35 quid on an afternoon tea on an old Routemaster, enthusiasts or not!

 

[theblackwatch]

This thread is increasingly becoming one where, every week, several members are using it to have personal attacks and make snide comments against each other. If
this continues, appropriate action will be taken. Please use the forum nicely.

 

[Volvodart]

Airlink changes from Sunday.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2019/07/changes-to-our-airlink-services/

Changes to our Airlink Services
July 26, 2019

We’ll be making some changes to stops and fares on the city section of our Airlink service from Sunday 28 July.

The lesser used bus stops at Wester Coates will no longer be served, with the nearest alternative bus stops located at Haymarket Station.

Single fares between Maybury and the City Centre will also be revised to;

Adult £2.50, Child £1.50 & Young Person Concession £1.65.

A grace period for £1.70 Adult Single m-tickets will apply on this service until 31 August 2019. There are no changes to the validity of any other fares or tickets.

Regular city customers who travel on this corridor are encouraged to used Lothian services 12, 26, 31 or Lothian Country services X17 or X18, all of which accept regular Lothian Buses fares & tickets from Maybury.

The new Airlink buses which we unveiled today, 24 July at our Castle Street launch will go into service early next month.

 

[Auld reekie]

Airlink changes from Sunday.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2019/07/changes-to-our-airlink-services/

Seems fair to me.

 

[Darklord8899]

Definitely trying to re-emphise the Premium Express image of the service

 

[Auld reekie]

Definitely trying to re-emphise the Premium Express image of the service

Agreed.
IMO they should just charge the airport fare regardless.
Plenty bus services on that route.