Edinburgh city timetable revision called 'short-sighted' as residents react to Lothian Bus service changes

From 22 February, a number of routes around the city and the Lothians will be revised - with services being altered. One of those that will see changes is the 22 service. The revised route will operate via Stenhouse Drive, Gorgie Road, Chesser Avenue, Slateford Road, Angel Park Terrace to West Approach Road.

Lothian Buses said that the reinstated bus link between Slateford Road and Edinburgh Park/Gyle Centre that had historically been provided by Service 35 and latterly Service 300 comes after customer requests.

However, some residents claim that this comes at the expense of services elsewhere in the city. In the revised timetable, Stevenson Drive, Balgreen Road and Stevenson Road will no longer be served by Service 22. Lothian Buses advice is that customers should use either the Balgreen tram stop or use the 1 or 2 service to connect with further buses or tram stops.

One such resident who has taken issue with the revisions is Jacky McKinney (62) who lives in Whitson. She said that the changes are “to the detriment of this area for the advantage of someone else”. She added that there is a solution to the problem.

She continued: “It used to be that the service number 2 went to Hermiston Gait and the Gyle, but because the 22 was also serving the Gyle through this area, they stopped that. All they need to do is reinstate it, and it would solve the two problems.”

She called the decision to divert the 22 “very short-sighted” and is worried that the changes could see an area already “beset by traffic” due to road closures on Gorgie Road further impacted by commuter and general traffic.

Residents in the west of Edinburgh have said timetable revisions are short sighted.

Jacky explained: “The people of Stenhouse on one side and Whitson on the other along Stevenson Drive are literally pinned in. There's so much going on in terms of the mayhem that it’s causing, and it's only just been week one. I think they managed to sneak this in, in the hope that nobody will really say that much, because there's so much else to contend with.

“That may not sound like a lot, but if you lived here, trying to get out onto the main road at the minute, even to go to your work is almost impossible. You can sit there for easily a good 5-10 minutes, which is a long time if you're sitting before somebody lets you out.”

There are also worries that the proposed changes risks isolating the elderly who live in the area. Jacky, who is an independent celebrant, said her 87-year old mother-in-law tries to keep active, but that a walk to the tram would be too far.

She said: “Whenever they say that you just get the tram on your doorstep, it's not. If you measured it out, it's a good half mile walk, part of which is uphill. So the older people in this community couldn't make it. It's not feasible when they've got about a 100 yard or 200 yard walk up to a bus stop that will drop them directly off at the Gyle’s front door. I think it's unreasonable to ask that of an elderly person, especially one with COPD or any kind of mobility impairment.”

There was further consternation online, with many echoing Jacky’s thoughts.

One commenter said: “If the number 2 changed and went straight to the Gyle instead of stopping at Hermiston Gait that would solve the problem.”

Another said potholes in the area were already causing damage to cars and echoed concerns about congestion. Adding: “There was nothing wrong with the previous route, it was one of the quickest bus routes in Edinburgh.”

Sarah Boyd said the changes would enable Lothian Buses to continue to customer demand | supplied

Announcing the changes last week, Sarah Boyd, Chief Executive of Lothian and Edinburgh Trams, said: “As the main bus operator across Edinburgh and the surrounding area, Lothian is fully committed to delivering for the local communities we serve. The introduction of these improvements across our wider bus network will enable us to continue responding to customer demand while enhancing the reliability of our services.

“These changes reflect our ongoing investment in the network and our focus on providing safe, dependable and accessible transport for customers. By strengthening service reliability and capacity where it is needed most, we aim to support everyday travel, reduce congestion and play our part in supporting a more sustainable public transport network for Edinburgh.”

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said that the service changes would "increase reliability”.

He said: “The service changes on the Lothian network will increase reliability and connectivity between Edinburgh and the wider region – which is essential as we deal with the challenges of our growing city.”