Rise in antisocial behaviour on Edinburgh's Lothian Buses network - report
Antisocial behaviour on Lothian Buses rose by almost 5% in 2025 compared with 2024, despite a sharp fall in incidents over Halloween and Bonfire Night.
A report due before city councillors next Thursday shows incidents increased by 4.79% across the network, which includes East Coast Buses and Lothian Country.
Combined incidents over Halloween and Bonfire Night fell by 46%.
Bonfire Night 2025 saw less violence and disorder than in recent years, a result hailed as a success by Labour council leader Jane Meagher.
Edinburgh Council is the majority owner of Lothian Buses, with Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils holding minority stakes.
The report said a youth engagement policy published in 2025, endorsed by police and Young Scot, had been “central” to tackling poor behaviour on services.
While not cited in the report, free bus travel for under-22s has often been linked to rising antisocial behaviour on Scotland’s bus network.
It said Lothian chief executive Sarah Boyd had been “central” to efforts to introduce a Scotland-wide code of conduct for under-22s using free bus travel.
She has also pushed for legislation allowing free travel to be withdrawn from passengers involved in poor behaviour.
Legislation enabling this was approved by Holyrood earlier this month, allowing free bus travel to be removed from pass holders.
Connectivity minister Jim Fairlie said: “Implementation will be phased to ensure a fair and robust system, taking account of business impacts, child wellbeing, poverty considerations, and the needs of older and disabled people.”
He said the aim was to make bus services safer, adding that criminal behaviour on buses would remain the responsibility of Police Scotland.
The report will be considered by the transport and environment committee on Thursday, April 2.