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Lothian Buses Edinburgh
by ElykTh
Having lived in Edinburgh for the last seven years now and in various parts of it I have become a regular customer on the Lothian bus service.
I can't say I'm pleased about the plans to slim down on the bus service when the tram service starts but if the price is the same as the bus (no chance) and it is as we are all being ... told a more enviromentally freindly method of transportation then I can forgive the delays and problems we are experiencing at them moment.
The bus service is usually clean but occasionally there will be some moron who has vomitted copiously and no one will have mentioned it to the driver. Furthermore there are always Metros left lying around for some poor cleaner to have to deal with (I tend to appreciate the odd one or two to be honest because it means I get a read myself). This kind of uncleanliness is down to public ignorance however. If there are any problems with your satisfaction all the drivers can radio for a cleaner to come out and meet their bus on route to have it cleaned!
If the drivers don't know of problems they can't do anything so by all means inform them. The drivers themselves are typically get the job done type folks (78%) with a proportionate minority of equal good and bad (6%) as well as amazing and terrible (6%), characters thrown in.
The security on the buses is really good with cameras recording on most buses over a loop and dummy cameras on the older buses.
The bus route system is very extensive and while I wouldn't like to comment on the full measure and range of stops the website for Edinburgh lothian buses is fuly comprehensive. This combined with the website Mybustracker.com and you can plan your Lothian journey to the minute using a PC or better still an e phone.
The service is unquestionably the best available in Edinburgh short of getting a free lift, walking, cycling or perhaps using some form of scooter. At £1.20 (70p child) for a single route journey and £3.00 (2.40 child) a day saver it may not be as cheap as three years ago but it's still pretty good.
All in all - where would we be without it?
All the best,
ElykTh
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Lothian Buses Edinburgh
by edindave
Edinburgh's main bus company, Lothian Buses, has a lot to be proud of. The buses are all clean and tidy and indeed most look brand new, as if nobody has ever been on them before so the stereotype of the run-down, tired-looking public transport system is well and truly put to bed in Edinburgh.
One of the first things one will ... notice about the city is the frequency of the buses. It is rare to have to wait longer than about 10-15 minutes for a bus to any part of the city from the centre. All of this comes with a simple flat fare too. Wherever one is going, however far along the route, the price is the same. It avoids long waits at each bus stop as the driver works out how much each passenger owes and then sorts out their change. There is a strict no change rule on the Lothian buses so whatever you put into the machine, any extra will not be returned but given the round fees, there really should not be any need for anyone to over-pay.
There is a slight problem at the moment because of the major roadworks on Princes Street, the main shopping street and thoroughfare of the city in that all of the buses have been diverted along the parallel-running George Street which is somewhat narrower so timings have been slowed through the very centre of the town but, given that this section of the journey lasts less than a mile, it is all over in the space of a couple of minutes so there is really no need for any worry. The added bonus is that every bus is diverted long George Street so if several buses go to one's destination and one is not sure which one will come first, they will in fact all be coming to the same place, paradoxically making this diversion probably more beneficial for the traveller.
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Lothian Buses Edinburgh
by SusanLesley
During a recent visit to Edinburgh I had the pleasure of travelling on the Lothian Buses, and it certainly was a pleasure.
The Buses
The buses themselves all look new - I didn't see a scruffy one during the whole of my fortnight's stay in Edinburgh! The buses were clean and even the seats were all ... comfortable!
They all have CCTV on board to deter anti social behaviour and I didn't see any signs of it so maybe that's working. I don't know how long it has been in operation so I can't make too many assumptions I suppose.
The buses have ramps so that wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs can all board easily. There are designated spaces on the ground floor of the buses for the wheelchairs and their riders to be safe on board.
The Fares
This is the best part of the whole service - there is only one fare. Adults pay £1.10 (£1.20) and children pay 60p (70p) for any one journey of any length. Day tickets can also be purchased for £2.50 (£3) for an adult and £2 (£2.40) for a child giving a full day's unlimited travel on all Lothian buses.
The prices in brackets are the new fares as from 18th January 2009 but, as you can see, they are still excellent value.
There are ticket machines near some of the bus stops so you can purchase your ticket before you board the bus.
A night ticket will cost you £2.50 for all night travel after midnight and the buses are at least hourly even at night. It sounds like a good way to help cut back on drink driving incidents and it is certainly a lot cheaper than a taxi!
There is also something called Ridacard which are longer term passes valid for 1 week, 4 weeks or one year. The best value is the annual one paid for by direct debit. These give unlimited travel for the duration of the pass together with £1 discount on a night ticket.
Frequency
Obviously this depends on the route in question but they seemed to range from 5 - 10 minutes for the really popular routes to half hourly for the less popular ones. Even during the night there is a least one bus an hour sometimes a lot more.
Conclusion
I hope all of you who live in the area appreciate how good this service is! I have never before been anywhere with a 24 hour bus service, with such a high standard of buses at such a low price! I was extremely impressed!
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