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.
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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.
Pencaitland Community Council
Completely agree with your comment on the expert’s view on the impact. Other areas are serviced by LRT or a reduced first bus so they still have a service.
But for people from Pencaitland and Ormiston who use the bus, the impact is huge and very worrying. I am a bus user and non-driver and have no way to take my toddler to the doctors or out of the village. The village has limited facilities and no way of walking to an area with bus service, so the impact on myself will not be minimal.