Edinburgh & Lothian buses aren't perfect, but could be much worse. Sometimes, well-meaning but misguided ideas nearly cocked them up. Let @lothianbuses.bsky.social et al get on with operations (mostly). Edinburgh Councils et al; sort out the infrastructure ! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We're at Leith Gala Day, Saturday, 13th June at Leith Links. Come and talk about buses! (Indoors if wet. Well, we might have a gazebo. [Gazebo not guaranteed])

It's 'like a tram' except for the important fact that it doesn't use steel wheels on fixed steel rail tracks. 😒 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Encouraging non-paywalled news; "Longer double-deckers to...meet growing passenger demand" www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/lothian... NB longer distance buses also in effect offer 'express' services within the city. (Also needs Councils & ScotGov to step up the infrastructure!)

Wherein we learn of continuing dissatisfaction with the 13, and encourage users to send comments to [email protected]

She's got a point. www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinbur...

One of the joys of travelling on Lothian Buses 36 through the New Town & Stockbridge is never being entirely sure which diversion will affect it today. x.com/on_lothianbu... @spurtle.bsky.social @ntbcc.bsky.social @stockbridgeicc.bsky.social Remember our survey! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

For £402m, the very least they could do would be to get the directional signs pointing the right way. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

As is our wont when bus stuff's a bit quiet, here's some nice train bits:

Quite well. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... But that doesn't mean "universal free bus travel & public ownership" is the right top priority for reversing declining bus use @scottishgreens.org

Hmm… Edinburgh’s population grew 9.4% 2014-24 (‘city region’ c7%) 5 million overnight visits in 2024, 14.3% up on 2023 International staying visits in Edinburgh 2014-24 up c48% Shouldn't we expect the number of bus trips to be much more than 2014, rather than still bouncing round the 120m mark?

Wherein Westminster dips a tentative toe* into the waters Scotland's swum in for four years. * and scurries back to the beach in September. Mind, you, neither Scotland nor England seem to grasp that significant modal shift relies on other stuff web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/edin...

Handy record of a unanimous Transport & E Committee decision on 29 January democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s9...

What? An election pledge that wasn't thought through? Surely not! www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...

Good commentary by @transform.scot Wherein the bus stuff is understandably brief and to the point. transform.scot/2026/05/14/w...

IT'S A BUS.

During the Holyrood election, we called for similar in Scotland. Got some supportive answers at hustings, but no promises. To be continued.

A positive analysis by @bususersuk.bsky.social of Scotland's election. bususers.org/uk/cross-par... We're more critical of the lack of policies on:  non-car lifestyles  reduce bus journey times  changed work patterns  bus infrastructure  geographic coverage, frequency But there you go.

Repost showing Edinburgh's not alone in cocking up bus stops. Although the one in Great Junction St is a prime example @chasbooth.bsky.social @katrinafaccenda.bsky.social edinburghbususers.group/closed-bus-s...

During the Holyrood election, we called for similar in Scotland. Got some supportive answers at hustings, but no promises. To be continued.

Timely reminder that bus operators neither benefit nor lose financially from concessionary travel. ScotGov's reimbursement rates for 2026/27 are: 53% (over 60s) 48.1% (ages 5-15) 72.5% (16-21 yr olds) i.e. operators get 53p, 48.1p or 72.5p for each £1 a cardholder doesn't pay, depending on age.

No thanks. We'd rather have buses that aren't delayed by: 1. Congestion 2. Roadworks 3. Other vehicles parking at bus stops

POLL: www.cpt-uk.org/news/majorit... 55% say traffic congestion's a problem in Scotland. 58% support bus priorities 22% oppose c. 36% report frequent/occasional congestion delays. In urban areas espec. Glasgow & Lothian, concern is higher & support for bus priority stronger. Rural priorities

Your final guide to party manifestos & late 'offers'; how do they help: 1. car-free lifestyles? 2. reduce bus journey times? 3. changed work patterns? 4.bus infrastructure (permanent stuff on the road)? 5. geographic coverage, frequency and cost? 6. anything else

Manifesto review @transform.scot transform.scot/2026/05/01/h... Which manages to say, more elegantly than we did, why the manifestos are so poor on buses.

Quality journalism in the Daily Mail, which apparently doesn't know the difference between a train and a locomotive. www.msn.com/en-gb/travel...

Your occasional reminder that in 1950, Edinburgh buses and trams carried over 286 million trips. The city population was 452,000+. In 2025, they carried 132 million trips. The population was c.100,000 greater, and there were more visitors. In both years, buses & trams were publicly owned.

Paywall-free article by @alastairdalton.bsky.social on an unimpressive* election campaign for buses www.scotsman.com/news/transpo... Which reveals that the SNP plans, within 100 days, to cut bus fares in Glasgow & surrounds to less than Edinburgh. *our view.

Right, that's our stall booked. Come along on 27 June and find out: What we're up to. Everything you wanted to know about local buses but were frightened to ask. General chat with no particular aim in mind about public transport.

If a party canvasser tells you declining bus patronage can be solved by 'opening up the streets', public ownership/control, or other whatever else their manifesto says, show them these graphs.

They haven't really thought this through, have they? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (England only, fortunately)

Also: don't park in bus stops or bus lanes.

Finally, the LIB DEMS 1. London-like model; communities in charge; complete revamp of buses 2. National tap-and-go so passengers can switch modes 3. Stronger regional transport partnerships More demand responsive transport 1. And when communities want conflicting things? 2. See LABOUR 'integrated

It's #WorldPublicTransportDay, apparently. In joyous celebrations around the world, hundreds of millions of people are taking to their favoured form of public transport. A bit like every other day, really. worldpublictransportday.com

GREENS ✅ remove barriers to bus lanes, invest in bus infrastructure ✅ minimum rural bus service guarantee ✅ national concessionary travel on Glasgow Subway & Edinburgh Tram edinburghbususers.group/ebug-suggest... References inaccessibility (but often the issue is infrastructure, not vehicles)

The ideal gift for any transport activist.

Interesting article about the impact of free public transport. I particularly like this conclusion: "Access, travel time, service reliability and the ability to make specific trips appear to matter more." theconversation.com/victoria-has...

Quite liking the cut of @bettertransport.bsky.social 's jib since following them. Reminder that: 1. Scotland has its own @transform.scot 2. Buses account for three quarters of public transport trips in Scotland.

Or, here's our quick guide. REFORM: Manifestos pledging to ‘end the war on the car’ usually warrant no consideration, but our Curator persevered. Despite ‘bus corridors in major cities’, they’d ‘invest’ in everything (except active travel) so👎overall. CONSERVATIVES: 'Ending the war on drivers';

Amendment to our earlier list of hustings (edinburghbususers.group/edinburgh-bu...) Living Rent now on 16 April www.livingrent.org/living_rent_... We understand Living Rent likes buses, so give them a go if you're not attending @spurtle.bsky.social hustings (Edinburgh North & Leith) !

Wherein the EN has a non-paywalled article about disruption to bus passengers www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/i-wont-...

This week we are been mostly thinking about how much oil a tanker carries, and the monetary value thereof. Helpful answers from the USA www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

A Bus User's Guide to assessing any party manifesto: 1. What does it say about improving car-free lifestyles? 2. What does it say about reducing bus journey times? 3. What does it say about accommodating changed work patterns? 4. What does it say about geographic coverage, frequency and cost? 🧵

36 days to the Holyrood elections, and bus manifestos are being published almost as frequently as a good bus service: bususers.org/wp-content/u... sestran.gov.uk/wp-content/u... www.cpt-uk.org/media/cc4jqx... edinburghbususers.group/ebug-suggest...

EXCLUSIVE; Shock poll shows new party winning seats across Scotland in May's election. The Albus Party surge has taken pollsters by surprise as voters reject other parties’ transport plans. ‘The response on the doorsteps has been great’ a party spokesperson said.

On the other place, we regularly sounded off about public transport access to health facilities. Here's Sestran on the subject: sestran.gov.uk/wp-content/u...

Your handy guide to some things in Appendix 1 – Performance Report: Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/documents/s9... which may not appear in some media reports

Good CBT piece. Controversial opinions alert: 1. Most 'Beeching cuts' (and those that weren't Beeching's) won't be reversed. BoJo's Restoring your Railways Fund was always show, not substance. 2. "The Beeching cuts themselves took place under a nationalised railway...nationalisation alone is not a

@edinburghbug.bsky.social, just wanted to share this survey currently doing the rounds. If would be a shame to miss an opportunity to have better (and on time) bus services in the area for the sake of some selfish drivers. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

ALT: photo by @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social from the front of a bus. The bus is on a dual carriageway, congested by cars (average occupancy 1.3-1.7). There is no bus lane.