Edinburgh bus lanes: Trial of 7-7-7 operation could include allowing private hire cars into bus lanes

The No 44 bus route between Balerno and Musselburgh will see bus lanes in operation from 7am to 7pm seven days a week for an 18-month period, due to start early next year, in a bid to improve journey times.

If the trial results in buses being able to complete their journeys more quickly, 7-7-7 operation would be introduced on bus lanes throughout the city.

A bus lane on Milton Road, Edinburgh. Picture: Greg Macvean | JP License

As part of the trial, it is proposed private hire cars - which are currently not permitted to drive in Edinburgh’s bus lanes, although taxis are - would be able to use the bus lanes on the 44 route.

But transport convener Scott Arthur voiced concerns about the move, particularly in the city centre. He said the issue would be one of the points of debate at the transport committee next week.

The committee has already agreed private hire cars can get through the bus gate to be introduced in Market Street as part of the Meadows to George Street traffic changes. And private hire car access is also proposed in the George Street pedestrianisation scheme.

Councillor Arthur said: “I have some concerns about allowing private hire cars into the trial for 7-7-7 bus lanes because I'm not sure if it just over complicates matters. But where I really do have concerns is allowing them to access bus lanes in the city centre particularly on Princes Street, which can already be quite congested.

“I don’t see how adding private hire cars to that is going to increase the overall movement of people in vehicles along Princes Street.  I’m not yet convinced that is in our interests as a city.”

Private hire cars have never been allowed to use Edinburgh’s bus lanes, although they are permitted in Glasgow’s.

Cllr Arthur said there was huge potential to cut bus journey times through the 7-7-7 trial.

Before 2015, many bus lanes across the city operated from 7.30am until 6.30pm Monday to Saturday, or 24 hours a day. But in 2015, operation times were switched to peak hours only and not at weekends, which a report says led to increased journey times and reduced reliability.

Cllr Arthur said: “If you’re in Balerno, the bus journey time into Edinburgh takes so long because of a number of factors - not just the bus lanes’ operating hours but also people parking in them.

“This project will monitor that before we make changes and after, to see whether or not this helps buses stick to their timetable and also whether we manage to reduce bus journey times into the city centre.

“It’s an 18 month trial. But if we do see early on that it's delivering benefits, hopefully we won’t be waiting 18 months to try it elsewhere.  If after six months we see it’s really changing the bus service for people in Balerno, it would be silly if we didn’t extend the same benefits to other parts of the city.”

And he signalled an increase in the numbers of bus lanes could also follow. “We need to think about extending bus lanes where justified, just to make sure we can move people around as easily as possible using public transport.

“If we’re serious about cutting congestion and modal shift, a big focus for that has to be to get people to see the bus as being more attractive and viable for them when they’re making their daily journeys. I know it doesn't suit everyone because of where they work or the things they're carrying with them, but a lot of people could use the bus more.”