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Have you considered car-pooling from Pencaitland?

With recent news about the unwelcome closure of vital bus routes to Pencaitland and Ormiston this June, you may be interested to know that there are still ways to get from A to B thanks to car pooling.

Tripshare allows you to car pool with others whilst reducing costs, road traffic and pollution at the same time. Click to find out more.
Tripshare allows you to car pool with others whilst reducing costs, road traffic and pollution at the same time. Click to find out more.
Car pooling is the act of sharing a private car to get to a mutually agreed destination at a prearranged time. In a local context that might be car-sharing from Pencaitland to Tranent or Wallyford in the morning in order to catch public transport into town… and back again at the end of the workday. Alternatively it might be a commute directly to the city.

The advantages of this approach are pretty clear. A car with four seats fully utilised will spread the fuel costs amongst four people. It also means just one round trip compared to four separate cars on the roads, each with just one commuter.

It’s not only a more economical and social practice, it’s also much more environmentally aware, reducing unnecessary road trips and pollution.

You don’t have to own a car to participate. If you do have your own transport then you can arrange to take turns driving, thus using your car perhaps 75% less than before. This reduces wear and tear and, of course, fuel costs.

Interested? Then find out more about East Lothian’s very own TripShareEastLothian service.

As the website explains, “Tripshare has been created so that you may actively search for other members who are doing similar journeys at similar times. Tripshare has the capability of matching all types of journeys. This scheme will not only allow members to share car journeys if you wish, but also to choose to share taxi journeys, and to choose to cycle and walk together.”

The website costs nothing to use and forms part of the UK’s National liftshare network. It is restricted to people aged 18 and over.

PS – Do you already car-pool from Pencaitland or other villages in and around the area? Please tell us about it below and whether it’s been a success for you?

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RELBUS calls on commuters to contact Council reps

RELBUS, short for Rural East Lothian Bus Users, is calling upon members to make personal representations to their elected representatives.

RELBUS calls for bus users/members to make views known to elected reps

As a recent articles on the RELBUS website explains, “In the light of recent announcements we thought it would be a good idea to set out some of the steps we can all take to ensure the politicians and operators respond appropriately. We are encouraging all RELBUS members to make personal representations to elected members, your local councillors and community councillors. Get support from your MSP to urge Government to step in and support the transition to a new provider, but also to look again at the regulations.”

The story goes on to recommend:

  • The views of bus users are central to constructing a better service, so ask them how they propose to take bus users views into account.
  • It is inevitable that urgency pushes decision makers to replicate the existing setup – perhaps like for like or close to it. However the status quo is inadequate. It can only be a starting point not the end point.
  • There need to be better connections with rail services. One study in Dunbar showed that no passengers used the bus to get to the train station.
  • There need to be better connections between communities and services to ‘destinations’.
  • We need better quality and more reliable commuter services. These are clearly very important, but too often oversubscribed at peak times and over-provided when they demand is lower.
  • Improve the bus fleet. Smaller buses are better suited to small rural towns and connecting services. Greener buses are going to be less noisy and less polluting.
  • A not for profit company should be set up to run the services. The company should seek to provide a comprehensive public service.
  • Profits should be used to help keep the fleet clean and green, lower fares and rationalise them, devote sufficient resources to marketing and publicity and aim to increase patronage of the buses by residents, business, visitors and tourists.

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East Lothian Courier seeks local views on axed bus routes

The East Lothian Courier newspaper is seeking the views of people in villages across the county who will be directly affected by the cuts planned by First bus this June.

Some of the growing list of comments on the East Lothian Courier's Facebook page.

Kirsty Gibbins, the paper’s Editor, wrote on it’s Facebook page, “We’d like to hear comments and views from people in East Lothian affected by the significant cuts to First bus services across the county from June 10. We will be running a selection of quotes from the public in the paper so please send your reaction/letters to kgibbins@eastlothiancourier.com with your name, age and home town/village attached.”

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Evening News features story on axed buses

The Edinburgh Evening News did a follow up piece on axed bus routes in today’s paper which highlights just how much upset it will cause to rural residents of East Lothian.

Bus users face misery as First axes vital services - click to read Evening News' story

However, in a small section marked ‘analysis’, the paper sought the ‘expert’ view of former Lothian buses chief Neil Renilson. He said, “The impact on the majority of passengers will be modest or slight, as most of the services being wound down parallelled Lothian Buses’ services, and I have no doubt that on the routes where First Group are simply copying Lothian’s services, Lothian will provide any extra seats needed.”

This so-called analysis totally omits the fact that Lothian buses do not operate competitive services to Ormiston, Pencaitland and other villages in East Lothian. Any axing of First’s services will leave villagers, without access to private transport, totally cut off.

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First bus slashes services again – route to be axed

If some bus users were under the impression there wasn’t a lot left to cut from the remaining routes operated by First… you’d be wrong! It seems the bus company plans a further round of route cuts in a few months which will lead to further misery for people lacking private transport in rural East Lothian.

First kills bus route covering Pencaitland and Ormiston - click for the Edinburgh Evening News story

Members of the local community have been contacted by the Edinburgh Evening News tonight, seeking their views on an announcement from First that it intends to kill the existing bus route covering Pencaitland and Ormiston.

This development could not happen at a worse time for the current ELC administration as many community members have previously expressed frustration at the lack of action from the controlling SNP/Lib Dem alliance over poor public transport policy and implementation.

Look out for the full story in tomorrow’s paper or read it here.

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Pencaitland responds to new ELC development plan

As part of East Lothian’s Local Development Plan Community Councils and individuals across the county were asked to take part in the process, offering their views and key concerns. These will hopefully be taken up by ELC and replace the current East Lothian Local Plan 2008.

We published an article on this process back in January this year.

The culmination of this exercise was a submission from your Community Council, which can be read below…

Continue reading “Pencaitland responds to new ELC development plan”

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Baldy Bane visits Pencaitland with road safety play

The Baldy Bane Theatre Company, which offers a range of plays it takes round communities in Scotland, recently stopped by at Pencaitland Primary School to present the play “Better Late than Dead on Time” which was developed in association with Road Safety Scotland.

The Baldy Bane Theatre Company present 'Better Late than Dead on Time' - click for more images

As well as kids from primary years six and seven, a number of village locals were invited to the show, including Community Councillors.

The play centres around a family where the grandfather is about to celebrate his 70th birthday, exactly one year after he’s lost his wife to an avoidable traffic accident. We also hear about other family members, in particular the grandson who suffers many close calls whilst using his mobile phone when crossing the road or under the influence of alcohol he shouldn’t be drinking.

Continue reading “Baldy Bane visits Pencaitland with road safety play”
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Groundhog Day at Pencaitland Crossroads – Two cars collide

Unfortunately we have to report another car crash at the exact same spot to the recent incident at the crossroads on the eastern edge of Pencaitland reported just before Christmas.

Two cars collided at the crossroads entering into easter Pencaitland - click for 2nd image

Sometime shortly before 7pm today (Jan 9th 2012) it appears that a car travelling in on the Tranent road couldn’t brake soon enough approaching the crossroads and met a second car coming into Pencaitland on the Haddington Road.

Fortunately no-one is thought to be hurt, though it’s believed that one of the cars is now inoperable…

UPDATE (8.20pm)

We have further information on the incident from a local resident living at the crossroads who heard the crash and went to offer assistance.

“I was working on the computer upstairs when I heard the familiar loud crash outside at the crossroads of the A6093 and the B6355. The weather was fine and mild with little traffic going through the village at that time. I ran down to assess the situation and offer assistance. Luckily, both ladies were unhurt.

Car A (a small red car) had been driven down the hill from Tranent and was apparently unable to stop at the line. Car B was being driven out of Pencaitland towards Haddington, and Car A ran straight into her. Both vehicles were damaged, though one, damaged on front & wing, was capable of being driven slowly and noisily down into the B6355 towards the nearby graveyard. The other had pulled in on the Haddington road and eventually was capable of being removed.

The small red car was so badly damaged it has had to be taken away by transporter.”

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Crash highlights danger at Pencaitland crossroads

The latest road accident to take place at Pencaitland’s now infamous crossroads involved a young man who crashed into the War Memorial at around 8.20am today. Unfortunately it adds to an ever-growing list of incidents which have occurred at the crossroads as you enter Pencaitland from either Haddington or Tranent.

The car ended up backwards on top of Pencaitland War Memorial - Click for further pictures

Despite recent improvements to the tarmac and road markings, these did little to prevent the latest incident. As resident and community councillor Fiona Tennick explains,”I heard an enormous bang outside my house which is on the corner by this crossroads, and knew immediately that there had been yet another accident at this busy junction.”

“Seeing a car up on the War Memorial, I immediately rang 999 and the emergency services were present within minutes. The vehicle had travelled down the B6355 towards the junction, crossed the central reservation, hit the second flower-tub and spun backwards across the junction, riding onto the War Memorial.”

“By some miracle, given the amount of traffic at that time of day, no-one else was hurt, and the young driver was pulled out of the wreckage by drivers on the scene at the time, before being taken off in a blue-flash ambulance.”

To their credit the emergency services were quick to respond to the incident. A police officer in attendance summed up the problem with the view that it was high time the Council looked at placing traffic lights at the crossroads to slow everything down.

As Fiona Tennick sums up, “I have lived at this corner for more than six years and never cease to be amazed by the speed of traffic travelling out of the village and down the hill towards it. I have lost count of the number of bumps at the junction, on several occasions attended by my daughter and son-in-law, both of whom are doctors. We need a set of traffic lights before there is another death here.”

Q. Have you experienced an incident at these crossroads? If you have please tell us about it with a comment below.

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Transport for people with mobility challenges

Some community members may have already received a leaflet through the door promoting the Handicabs Lothian service. It’s a Scottish charity based in the Lothians which operates a transport service for people with a range of disabilities and health needs who are unable, or have great difficulty, in using transport.

The services operate seven days a week. The main services provided are Dial-A-Ride, Dial-A-Bus and Ambulance.

Whilst the service is not free, it does provide a potentially affordable alternative for people of limited mobility. Membership costs £5 and booking in advance is advised. The vehicles are specially adapted to carry combinations of wheelchair users and other passengers safely and comfortably.

East Lothian Council is one of the charity’s sponsors. To find out more visit http://www.handicabs.org.uk/

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