'It doesn't make sense': Retirement complex residents slam Lothian Buses over removal of vital stops
Lothian Buses have removed bus stops on Leven Street from their routes, with nearby elderly residents saying the decision “doesn’t make sense”
Elderly and disabled residents of a retirement housing complex in Bruntsfield have hit out at Lothian Buses after the bus company halted services at their nearest bus stops.
Residents of Gillespie Lodge would have once been able to use Lothian Bus services from their nearest stop on Leven Street, just a short distance around the corner.
The stops were temporarily removed during improvement works to the King’s Theatre but have only been reinstated for use by a smaller operator, Houston’s Coaches.
Houston’s runs limited services towards Edinburgh Bus Station and Morningside Station, meaning residents of the complex – many of whom have limited mobility – are now forced to walk further to access Lothian Buses routes.
Alternative stops include one outside the Cameo Cinema on Home Street, which has no shelter or bench, or another accessed by climbing a hill and crossing the road at Whitehouse Loan.
This includes walking down Home Street to the bus stop outside the Cameo Cinema, which has no shelter or bench, or climbing a hill and crossing the road at Whitehouse Loan to reach services heading in the opposite direction.
Stuart Roberts is severely visually impaired and uses a white cane to get around. He says that the removal of Lothian Bus services from the nearest bus stops has made his journeys “unsafe” and “dangerous”.
Mr Roberts said: “I used to come to Leven Street and there was a pedestrian-controlled crossing which I could use to cross to get onto the north side of Gillespie Crescent.
“I have to go up to Whitehouse Loan now and I’m trapped on a little peninsula of land between Whitehouse Loan and Bruntsfield Terrace.
“There’s traffic coming in all directions, there’s no way I can cross that safely and I have to stand there and shout for help.”
Ronnie McCullough, 78, has lived at the Gillespie Crescent complex for almost six years.
Mr McCullough, who suffers from a heart murmur, said: “There’s a steep hill going up towards Bruntsfield Links and I find with my heart condition that it’s really difficult.
“I used to take the bus from outside Saunderson’s Butcher on Leven Street just a few stops to see my GP. But now it’s taking me an extra 20 minutes to go and get a bus and I’m having to stop twice on the way. I’m finding it really rough.”
Susan Hindle, who lives nearby on Glengyle Terrace, added: “I have cancer and I don’t have the strength to help my husband, who has Parkinson’s disease and is in a power chair. Because the stops have moved, he’s not on the same block to get around and he’s having to cross roads. We’ve lived there for years and everything was in place but now I have to use the car to take him out.”
Stuart Clarke, 67, added: “The bus stops play an important part in the community in giving residents over 60 and those with disabilities the opportunity to get around in Edinburgh. Removing barriers will improve our quality of life for good health and wellbeing. The bus stops are positioned where it is ideal for older and disabled people, a sector of the community often forgotten about.”
Mr Clarke’s sentiment that older people’s concerns are being ignored is shared by many others within the residents’ group.
Kathleen Young, 69, said that a major frustration within the resident group is that no communication has come from Lothian Buses on the reason the stops have been removed.
She said: “The main issue for me is that we’ve had no consultation regarding their removal.
“I know it doesn’t seem like much for people who are younger and fitter, but coming up that very short hill is a real effort. Before, it was nice and handy, especially in winter, you didn’t have far to go to get to your bus stop. But there were no notices, no word that it was being taken away.”
Ms Young added: “We found out they painted it all out after taking them away. We now have a bus stop there again, but only one company that will take you as far as the bus station is allowed to use it. It doesn’t make sense. It really beggars belief.”
In response to the concerns of the residents, Lothian Buses said that “a full review of the available options” was undertaken before the decision was made to remove the Leven Street bus stops from its routes, adding that the change was made to “balance accessibility with the need to maintain efficient services”.
A Lothian spokesperson said: "We recognise the concerns that have been raised regarding the removal of these bus stops and understand the importance of accessible public transport, particularly for older and disabled customers.
"The decision was taken following a full review of the available options and after a prolonged period during which the stops were unavailable.
"Alternative stops remain within recommended walking distances, and the change aims to balance accessibility with the need to maintain reliable and efficient services for the wider travelling public."