Edinburgh council confirms North Bridge bus stops permanently scrapped as reopening nears

There are no plans to reinstate the bus stops on North Bridge when the route reopens, Edinburgh council has revealed.

Council officers confirmed on X last week that buses will continue to stop only on South Bridge when traffic resumes fully on the bridge at the end of the month.

They said the eight years of works on the bridge had “provided an opportunity to observe bus operations”, and that the current provision with buses only stopping on South Bridge has worked well for the network in the city centre.

The project has taken much longer and cost a lot more than originally estimated, with the final bill is expected to be around £86 million | TSPL

The plans mean that there will be no stops between South Bridge and the east end of Princes Street.

Replying to a resident on X, the council spokesperson said: “The North Bridge works has provided an opportunity to observe bus operations with stops only on South Bridge for a significant period.

“This has worked relatively well for bus operators, and they support the proposal not to reinstate the North Bridge bus stops as they were previously.

“Passenger demand on North Bridge predominately originated from destinations on the High Street and Princes Street and although South Bridge is close to much of this demand, we recognise the greater level of passenger demand that this places at the bus stops on South Bridge.

“In recognition of this, we are developing proposals to make significant improvements to bus stop infrastructure and footway widths in this area, and this work will also consider the proposal for a future tram line.”

They said the improvements to South Bridge will be subject to consultation in the coming months.

The plan to scrap bus stops along the busy route has been blasted by residents as “a disgrace”.

Some Evening News readers said having no bus stops on North Bridge would be difficult for the elderly and disabled, with another having said the plan would leave residents with “still miles to walk”.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “We’ve taken this decision, with the support of Lothian Buses, to improve the reliability of our services and increase footway space on North Bridge.

“We’ve seen over the length of the project, and through feedback from Lothian, that services from South Bridge have performed well.

“We’re now taking work forward to widen the footway here and make the area more accessible for everyone.

“Once North Bridge has fully reopened, we’ll continue to review travel patterns and make any necessary adjustments.”

Edinburgh council announced last month that the bridge was set to fully reopen to traffic and be cleared of any works at street level by the end of July, with plans for the full project to be complete by the end of the year.

The key route connects the Old Town and New Town and has faced ongoing construction works since 2018 after inspections identified various defects.

Council leader Jane Meagher revealed in her regular council leader’s report that the long restrictions at North Bridge will finally come to an end in time for festival season.

She said: “I’m pleased to report that, after years of painstaking work, the North Bridge will completely re-open to traffic and pedestrians by the end of July – ahead of festival season getting underway.

“This has been a complex and difficult project but I hope you’ll agree it has been worth it. The new façade is truly spectacular and it’s fantastic to see it restored to its former glory.”

A council spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that works remain on track to finish by the end of the month.