Bus passengers angered as Lothian announce service cut in new timetable

Bus passengers have been voicing their concerns over plans by Lothian Buses to cut a Saturday service between Penicuik and Edinburgh.

Lothian will be running a new timetable with some service changes from July 14th.

The bus company has unveiled a raft of service changes which will come into effect from July 14th.

But several residents have complained about the Saturday service cut after Lothian posted their new timetable on social media.

One angry resident said: "Who actually makes these decisions & where was the consultation with fare paying passengers on this?

"In my experience, the 15 is still reasonably well used on a Saturday, so effectively you’re now encouraging people from the Penicuik area to drive into Fairmilehead & Morningside as they won’t have much of an alternative.

"I’m assuming that’ll also mean no more 15 services on public holidays either, which if so is a very poor, backwards decision as for a lot of them (the recent one at the end of May for instance) a majority of people working in Edinburgh and the schools aren’t off & still require to travel from A to B at the normal peak times."

Another resident said the 15 "has to make money or else it doesn't run" and so the Saturday service is not commercially justified.

But many claimed it is regularly full and they wanted to see the statistics behind the decision.

Lothian Buses responded directly to say: "Penicuik is still served by services 37 and 47."

However, another angry passenger said: "I regularly use the 15 on a Saturday? Why is it being stopped. If anything the service should be extended to evenings and a Sunday! The 37 is not a viable alternative!!!!"

Some passengers said the 37 and 47 buses take longer and that anyone wanting to travel from the Penicuik area to Fairmilehead, Morningside or Bruntsfield will lose out unless Lothian plans to re-route one of the other services.

On their website, Lothian say there will be revised timetable on a number of services and list various service changes.

These changes also include the introduction of a new service 48 operating between Gorebridge and Fort Kinnaird via Newtongrange, Mayfield, Dalkeith, and the Royal Infirmary.

Lothian also says the changes will include increasing the number of express buses operating on services X33 and X37.

Lothian Buses has also been contacted for comment.