Due to roadworks, North Bridge will be closed in BOTH DIRECTIONS from 8pm tomorrow (Sunday 4th February) and will be closed between 8pm and 6am each night for 8 nights.
See Lothian Buses website for diversion information.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into an assault on board a bus at Inverleith Gardens, Edinburgh.
The incident took place around 4.20pm on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.
The man has been released on an undertaking and is expected to appear at court at a later date.
Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “I would like to thank the public for their assistance with our enquiries into this incident.”
Police issue CCTV appeal following assault on board bus at Inverleith
Police Scotland have released images of a man they wish to speak to who may be able to assist with enquiries into an assault which took place on board a number 9 bus on Saturday, 9 December, 2023.
The incident on the took place whilst the bus was at Inverleith Gardens at around 4:20pm.
The man is described as white, slim build, brown hair and facial hair and aged between 25 to 30 years old. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a purple tie.
Constable Rachael McIntyre said: “We are keen to speak to this man, who may be able to assist us with our enquiries. I would encourage him or anyone who may recognise him to contact us as soon as possible”.
Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2431 of 9 December, 2023.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.
The UK’s largest municipal bus company, Lothian Buses, has paired up with social enterprise Powering Futures to take eight of its apprentice engineers through the Challenge Programme – a pioneering workplace skills development programme focused on sustainability and future business prosperity.
Participants in the Challenge Programme will collaborate on a solution to a sustainability challenge set by Lothian Buses, and present that solution to a panel of industry-leading judges – developing their skills in innovation, networking and collaboration.
The challenge to be tackled by the Lothian Buses apprentice engineers is reduction in the use of energy, particularly gas, across the Lothian Buses estate – with company bosses undertaking to implement the creative solutions which Challenge Programme participants come up with at the end of the process.
Powering Futures was set up in 2020 to empower the young and future workforce with the skills, critical thinking, and enthusiasm to help their organisation transition to net zero.
Partnering with businesses to help them solve real-time climate change challenges, Powering Futures tasks teams of 16–25-year-olds with solving a sustainability problem set by industry or their employer and supports them in coming up with creative solutions through teamwork and climate skills.
Colin Barnes, Director of Engineering at Lothian Buses said: “As the main bus operator in Edinburgh, we are fully committed to ensuring we play our part in reducing emissions across Edinburgh and the Lothians, including within our premises and plan to become fully net zero by 2035.
“We are excited to be working with Powering Futures to encourage and empower our young workforce to come up with the solutions to the challenge of energy use.
“Our younger colleagues will look at these issues in a different way to those who have been in the business for a long time, and we are confident that their suggestions will inspire a step-change in how this sustainability challenge is approached. Nothing is off limits.”
The Lothian Buses Powering Futures Challenge got underway this week, with Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith where Lothian Buses is headquartered visiting the Lothian Buses Central Depot to meet the Challenge participants.
Ben Macpherson MSP said: “It’s great that Powering Futures and Lothian Buses are working together to help empower the young workforce.
“The Challenging Programme will equip participants with key skills for their career, and also bring forward innovative, new ideas for how Lothian Buses can continue to lead in decarbonising the transport sector.”
Since launching in 2020, the Powering Futures Challenge Programme has engaged over 3,000 young people across Scotland, including those working in well-known organisations such as Scottish Water, Forth Ports and Booth Welsh.
In October, Booth Welsh reported that the sustainability solution implemented after its young workforce took part in the Powering Futures Challenge Programme had cut gas usage by 80%, at a saving of £40,000 annually for the business.
Jennifer Tempany, Co-Founder of Powering Futures said: “We are delighted to be working with Lothian Buses to bring this pioneering initiative to their young workforce.
“The transport sector is understandably a major focus area in the transition towards net zero, but it’s also where we are seeing some of the most innovative solutions to sustainability challenges.
“Through the Powering Futures Challenge Programme, we are empowering tomorrow’s business leaders to solve real-time sustainability challenges and work towards future economic prosperity.
“We believe that economic prosperity and sustainability exist together – and the example set by previous Challenge participants proves that the model works for businesses, the young workforce, and the climate.
“We are excited to work with the team at Lothian Buses to empower the young workforce and bring their creative sustainability solutions to life.”
INFORMATION FROM CITY COUNCIL’s ACTIVE TRAVEL TEAM
One of Scotland’s leading public transportation providers has won an award at this year’s Scottish Transport Awards for an initiative that gives drivers insight into the experiences of blind and partially sighted passengers.
Drivers with Lothian Buses have been taking part in hands-on training events, named ‘Swap With Me’ sessions, alongside community members from national sight loss charity, RNIB Scotland.
The sessions, which have taken place monthly since November 2022, give trainee drivers an opportunity to attempt to hail a bus, buy a ticket and board while wearing sim-specs; special glasses that simulate different sight conditions.
The drivers also engage in meaningful discussions about their role in ensuring an inclusive journey, while individuals with sight loss have had the chance to describe their experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the driver’s perspective by sitting in the cab.
Driver’s actions can make a huge difference to the accessibility of bus travel for all passengers, says community member, Sylvia Paton: “This could include telling blind and visually impaired people the number and destination, and allowing passengers with sight loss time to find a seat before pulling away.
“It is also helpful if drivers let them know when they arrive at their destination. Helping the trainee drivers to understand our experiences has really helped to change perceptions and attitudes towards blind and partially sighted passengers.”
The Excellence in Transport Accessibility Award recognises Lothian’s commitment to providing improved access to travel for disabled people. The award covers projects and initiatives that highlight innovation and collaboration between operators and organisations, such as Lothian and RNIB Scotland’s ‘Swap With Me’ sessions.
Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director for Lothian, said: “We are delighted to be recognised with the Excellence in Transport Accessibility Award for the second year running.
“Partnerships with the RNIB Scotland and other such organisations allow us to better understand the needs and experiences of disabled people travelling on our services.
“Lothian is committed to providing safe, reliable and accessible travel for all of our customers and awards like this are testament to the amazing effort of teams across our business in getting it right for everyone.”
James Adams, Director of RNIB Scotland, said: “By raising awareness among their drivers and encouraging them to take that extra bit of time, Lothian Buses is making a significant difference in the lives of blind and partially sighted passengers.
“We applaud their efforts and are grateful for the opportunity to explain the importance of accessibility. The award is well-deserved recognition of their dedication to making bus travel as accessible as possible for all and we look forward to the future of this partnership.”
There are around 183,000 people in Scotland living with significant sight loss.
Lothian Buses has over 700 buses servicing over 67 routes throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Parking attendants ride city buses to target inconsiderate drivers
A trial to crack down on drivers parking in bus lanes will see parking attendants riding Lothian Buses services to target city hotspots.
From tomorrow (Tuesday 9 May) parking attendants will begin travelling on specially selected routes, which experience issues with vehicles blocking bus lanes.
Attendants will be able to disembark buses to move on or issue parking tickets to any drivers breaking the rules and board the next bus on the same route.
The initiative, being carried out in partnership with Lothian Buses, aims to improve bus reliability and journey times by reducing disruption to services caused by incorrectly parked vehicles. In turn this will support and encourage sustainable, low carbon travel by public transport.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We already have an excellent bus service in Edinburgh, relied on by many, and our bus lanes are really important to making sure services can run smoothly and on time, especially during peak hours.
“This trial, in partnership with Lothian Buses, will let parking attendants target hotspots in real time, where drivers continue to park inconsiderately. We’ll continue monitoring its effectiveness to make sure we’re focusing on the right areas.
“Encouraging and supporting travel by sustainable, reliable public transport is crucial to our net zero 2030 aspirations, as well as helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide accessible transport for everyone.”
Willie Hamilton, Operations Director, Lothian Buses, said: “Lothian is committed to providing a safe, reliable and trusted service across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“As we look to encourage the use of public transport in support of the Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council’s wider environmental goals, it is important that we work with partners across the city on effective ways to ensure bus priority measures are followed which will enhance our ability to provide a consistently reliable standard of service for our customers.”
Find out more about bus lanes in Edinburgh.
A Special Service is in operation today (Boxing Day).
For festive timetable information, please visit:
https://lothianbuses.com/news/2022/12/festive-timetables/…
The city council’s Transport and Environment Convener has condemned anti-social behaviour towards Lothian Buses employees.
Councillor Scott Arthur’s comments follow an open letter from Sarah Boyd, managing director of Lothian Buses, which acknowledges an increase in abusive behaviour towards drivers and other customer-facing people, as well as frontline workers around the city.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, responded to Sarah Boyd’s letter, saying: “It’s extremely disappointing to hear that Lothian Buses’ employees are having to endure abusive and anti-social behaviour.
“These keyworkers work hard to provide a trusted, essential service for the city and it’s appalling that they’re having to put up with this kind of treatment.
“We’ve pulled through an exceptionally challenging few years together, as a city, and I’m grateful for the indispensable role Lothian Buses played during the pandemic. We should not forget that drivers faced unknown risks everyday getting keyworkers to work.
“The current Europe-wide driver shortage means all bus companies face huge challenges in maintaining their network, but I know the vast majority of people in Edinburgh understand this and will continue to support Lothian Buses by reinforcing a zero tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour.”
Visit Lothian Buses website for information on services.
This is an appeal to all of our customers, and all who want to see Lothian Buses thrive again.
As a society we’ve gone from standing on doorsteps, applauding key workers and paying tribute to their efforts, to a much less tolerant approach. It’s present wherever you look – in shops, restaurants, and most definitely on buses. It seems many people are less patient, less accepting and much less forgiving.
I know that our service isn’t always delivering for our customers as it should be right now and I’m sorry. It’s definitely not how we as a company want it to be and I know we still have work to do to get it right. I know how frustrating it is to wait at a bus stop only for the bus not to turn up or to watch the street tracker increase the number of minutes’ wait when it should be counting down.
Please be assured that Lothian Buses is doing everything possible to get back to operating the reliable bus services that the people of Edinburgh expect and need.
To our customers… Please see our people as human beings – people who are at their place of work and are deserving of your respect and courtesy. Our drivers and other customer-facing people are seeing a huge increase in abusive behaviour.
It’s abhorrent and completely unacceptable. If you are frustrated with our service and feel that we have let you down, please remember that it’s not the fault of any individual colleague. They are doing their very best in incredibly difficult circumstances.
And to our colleagues… I am truly sorry that your working day looks as it does just now. I know that you are the people who have remained loyal to Lothian Buses and continue to come to work in very difficult circumstances.
Please know that we are doing everything possible to recruit the drivers we need and to retain the ones we have. We are running an extensive recruitment campaign, we’ve evolved our training programme, we are adding new benefits to our employment offering, and we are working hard to modernise rotas so that we can offer a better work/life balance.
We are slowly turning a corner with driver shortages, and we will get back to being a service that customers can rely on.
And in the meantime…
Please bear with us, and with our people.
Sarah Boyd
Managing Director, Lothian Buses
People are expected to gather in large numbers in Edinburgh today to pay their final respects to Her Majesty The Queen.
After the Lying at Rest, the coffin will be transported from St Giles’ Cathedral to Edinburgh Airport.
The cortège will follow this route: St Giles’ Cathedral – Lawnmarket – Johnston Terrace – Castle Terrace – Lothian Road – Queensferry Street – Dean Bridge – Queensferry Road – Maybury Road – Turnhouse Road – Edinburgh Airport.
This will have a significant impact on public transport services across the city and on surrounding trunk roads including the M8 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.
People are being asked to work from home if they can, and those not wishing to pay their respects in person are being asked to avoid any non-essential travel.
There will be significant disruption to travel along the route of the Queen’s coffin with numerous road closures from 1pm. Some schools in Edinburgh will also be impacted and close earlier.
Latest traffic and school information can be found on the City of Edinburgh Council website.
The schools and early years centres affected are:
The route the Queen’s cortege will travel means the following roads will close between 4pm and 6.30pm:
In addition to roads on the route, extensive closures and diversions of adjoining roads will be in place, including all crossover junctions. This will have a significant knock-on impact on surrounding trunk roads including the M8 and the Edinburgh City Bypass.
The Scottish Government is working with City of Edinburgh Council, Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, ScotRail and other partners to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum, however, lengthy delays are to be expected.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “This will be an extremely busy time in Edinburgh as members of the public come to pay their final respects. In light of this, we respectfully ask people to avoid non-essential travel if possible.
“Those wishing to line the route should plan ahead taking into consideration local road closures, allowing for extra time and limited facilities. Prepare for long periods of standing and large crowds. Check the weather before you leave and bring water.
“Information on travel can be found at Traffic Scotland, Traveline Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Tram and ScotRail websites and social media channels. We are encouraging everyone to check for the latest information before finalising their travel plans.”
Traffic Scotland Operator Manager Stein Connolly said: “Monday and Tuesday will be extremely busy for Edinburgh, the City Bypass, and the surrounding network, due to a series of road closures and the sheer volume of people expected to line the streets.
“We want to strike a balance and ensure those who wish to pay their respects can do so safely. If you can work from home we would strongly encourage you to do so. Please consider your need to travel if you are not attending any of the advertised events.
“If you do plan to pay respects in person, please allow extra time for your journey and leave the car at home. Consider public transport options, or if you need to use a car, think about car sharing and using park and ride facilities where possible. On arrival, be prepared for long periods of standing. Bring water and dress for the weather. Most importantly – let’s look out for each other.
“Please continue to check Traffic Scotland and Traveline Scotland, Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Tram websites – as well as @edintravel and @ScotRail social channels for updates before finalising your travel plans.”
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “We share the respect and affection the public is demonstrating for Her Majesty and urge everyone to continue to be safe as they do so.
“Roads around Edinburgh are expected to be very busy on Tuesday with closures in place and people should plan ahead and follow travel advice.”
City of Edinburgh Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Tuesday’s events will be of an unprecedented scale, even for our Capital City, so I’m really proud that Edinburgh’s playing such a significant role in these ceremonial events with the eyes of the world are on us.
“Thousands of people lined the Royal Mile to hear the proclamation of the new King and we’ll continue to work closely with Scottish Government, Police Scotland and transport providers to manage disruption and safely accommodate the large numbers of visitors who will wish to pay their respects on Tuesday.
“We’re reminding everyone to consider their travel needs and avoid any non-essential travel throughout the day. For those who choose to try and attend events, please be aware that you may need to sit or stand for a number of hours so dress for the weather and with limited facilities, we recommend that you prepare accordingly.”
Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway said: “We are doing everything we can to support people to pay their respects while Her Majesty The Queen lies at rest in Edinburgh.
“We expect trains to be busier than normal over the coming days, particularly to and from Edinburgh. Passengers are advised to download the ScotRail app or visit scotrail.co.uk for the latest information.”
The coffin procession will depart St. Giles’ Cathedral for Edinburgh Airport at 5pm.
Those wishing to attend are being urged to do so safely, plan ahead and allow extra time, taking account of local and city centre road closures, weather conditions, limited facilities, crowded roads and very busy public transport, and the likelihood of spending many hours at the roadside.
Significant numbers of stewards are being drafted in, alongside police officers, to help keep the public safe. The stewards will provide advice on routes from car parks, identified crossing points and safe viewing areas.
People are being urged to consider if their journey is absolutely necessary and to work from home if possible. If travel is essential, please allow for extra time, and if possible walk or cycle, use alternative routes or travel at a different time.
Travel information:
There will be rolling road closures along the route. Other roads in the area are expected to be significantly affected as large numbers of people from across Scotland and beyond come to pay their respects.
Those coming to the area by car should reconsider and look at using one of seven park and rides to get a bus or train into the city. Allow plenty of time to travel and park within the designated areas. Please try to share lifts with friends, family and neighbours wherever possible.
For up-to-date information, including road and school closures across Edinburgh, visit: Road closures and public transport information – The City of Edinburgh Council
For up to date travel information and other updates, visit the dedicated Traffic Scotland website.
The @edintravel traffic information team will be carefully monitoring the city’s roads, sharing the latest information on disruption and diversions on Twitter.
The following websites can also be used to keep informed about transport services: Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail.
Safety:
People intending to view the Queen’s cortege, should not leave their vehicle at the side of the road as this poses a risk to public safety. Parking is only allowed in designated areas and the directions of stewards and police officers must be followed.
People are urged not to stand in any unsafe areas and to keep off the carriageway at all times.
Drivers must only park where it is safe to do so, and to respect the needs of residents and businesses to access their premises.
For safety reasons, do not throw flowers on the road or towards the cortege.
Please note that before and after the movement of the vehicles the route remains open and fully operational and normal safety processes apply.
