Lothian Buses: clean and reliable. (Lothian Buses Edinburgh)

Member Name: edindave

Product:	Lothian Buses Edinburgh
Date:	09/06/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: New buses, clean seating, no anti-social behaviour, flat fares.

Disadvantages: Slight detour in the very centre of the city.

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.

Summary: A bus service that the city can be proud of and very cheap for the traveller.