Midlothian MP hits out at ‘dismissive’ Lothian Buses after failing to meet with residents over bus cuts
Almost 3,000 residents in Midlothian have signed a petition to reverse Lothian Buses’ decision to scrap the “vital” 46 bus route
A Midlothian MP has branded Lothian Buses' response to residents whose lives have been turned upside down by the removal of a key bus route as “dismissive”.
Scottish Labour MP Kirsty McNeill claimed the bus operator had “ignored” repeated requests to meet with residents after the 46 bus route, which offered a direct service from Rosewell to the Royal Infirmary, was withdrawn at the end of February.
The changes mean residents now have to take two buses to get to appointments and work shifts at the Royal Infirmary, as well as to access the local community hospital, major supermarket and amenities in nearby Dalkeith.
On Monday, the Edinburgh Evening News shared how a disabled nurse from Polton Mill is considering leaving the job she’s done for 15 years after being forced to take up to ten buses a day to manage her shifts alongside childcare.
Others have described how they’ve been cut off from relatives, missed social events and forced to travel into Edinburgh to do their weekly shop since the changes were brought in.
Almost 3,000 residents in the area have signed a petition set up by Ms McNeill in response to the cuts, calling on Lothian Buses to bring back the service.
She said she has been inundated with messages from residents whose daily routines have been uprooted by the changes, many of whom are disabled, on low incomes or who work at the Royal Infirmary.
“People have made decisions of enormous consequence about their life based on this bus route, including where they have bought a house, where their children go to school and what healthcare they can access,” she said.
“These are decisions that aren’t easily reversible and the rug has just been pulled out from under them with no consultation and no acknowledgment of the human consequences.
“I have gone and done the journey from Rosewell to the Royal Infirmary, and I simply don’t think it would be possible to do if I had a disability or had wee ones in tow.”
She said she had made multiple attempts to engage with Lothian Buses about the issue, including offering to facilitate a public meeting to allow residents to speak to representatives of the company directly.
But she said the response from the company had been "unbelievably dismissive” and they appeared “not interested” in listening to the concerns of residents about the impact of the decision.
“It’s so disrespectful to the 3,000 people who have signed our petition,” she said.
“We’ve offered to arrange a public meeting so they can explain to those people directly the basis on which their decisions were made, and it’s just been a flat no.
“There’s been no attempt to lay out the rationale for the decision to my satisfaction or the satisfaction of the 3,000 constituents.
“3,000 people is a lot of people to ignore.”
She said she welcomes any “creative solutions” Lothian Buses may have to address the difficulties people are facing, but said the constituents she represents want to see the 46 service brought back.
A spokesperson for Lothian Buses denied the company had refused to engage with those concerned about the changes, saying it was willing to meet with the local community council to discuss the issue.
They said: "We would be happy to meet with a representative of the community council for a constructive discussion and, as previously communicated with community council officials, this could be arranged through the Midlothian Council transport team, who would also attend, subject to identifying a mutually agreeable date."
The bus company said all route change decisions are based on detailed analysis and travel patterns, and that customer demand is not high enough to sustain both a bus service into Edinburgh and a local Midlothian service.
It said the recent alternations responded to local demand for a direct link to Edinburgh, as well as providing opportunities for connections to the Royal Infirmary and to Dalkeith.
A spokesperson said: “Lothian is committed to delivering reliable, accessible and cost-effective bus services across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“As a wholly commercial operator, our decision to implement network changes is driven by detailed analysis of data and evolving travel patterns, helping to ensure our services remain viable.
"We will continue to monitor the revised services and listen to community feedback as we consider further improvements to connectivity across the wider bus network."