'Just as well buses don’t go down Cockburn Street' - Readers have their say on Lothian bus announcement mispronouncing place names

It's fair to say that most Edinburgh-folk have placed their tongues firmly in their cheeks on this one.

Earlier today, we told how one Edinburgh resident was so miffed that new Lothian buses mispronounced place names in their on-board announcements, she set up a petition to get bosses to alter it.

The announcements, which can be heard over the tannoy of the newer buses in Lothian’s fleet led to some local people left “feeling rather upset” according to the founder of the petition Dawn Exley.

Inspired by her own mum’s reaction to the new announcements, Ms Exley set up the petition two weeks ago with nearly 150 people already signed up.

She said: “It started with my Mum who lived in the Broughton area for decades and she was furious that they were pronouncing Broughton wrong.

“It made her feel like the local dialect was not being valued.

“When I saw LNER had changed their mispronunciations after local people had been complaining I thought why not try?”

Edinburgh residents have now had their say on the Evening News' Facebook page and Twitter account - and it's raised a fair bit of debate.

Marisa Gray joked: "Just as well buses don’t go down Cockburn Street. Ouch ."

Elfreda Whitty supported the petition, saying: "It's a valid point well made. It may not be a 'big deal' in the grand scheme of things but it's good to highlight and get these things right especially when we attract so many tourists to the city. Language and heritage is important to protect!"

Meanwhile, Susan Greenhorn was less impressed, adding: "Honestly some people don’t know how lucky they are if that’s all they have to worry about."

Catriona Major decided to question the theory, saying: "Since when was home street pronounced Hume street by anyone local?"

A spokesman for Lothian buses said authenticity is “really important” and said they used local voiceover specialists when recording the announcements.

They said: “Lothian have led the industry in specifying next stop audio and visual announcements across all new bus deliveries since 2016.

“These measures are intended to remove barriers to travel, increase inclusion and better inform all customers on approach to bus stops, which we know through consultation with user groups can help to build confidence in independent travel.

“Local voiceover specialists are used when recording announcements and media on both buses and across our wider advertising platforms.

“Authenticity is really important to us and we are mindful of the diverse make up of our city and customers whilst ensuring we communicate all information clearly.

“We value all customer feedback and use it accordingly to shape our development and future strategies.”