Lothian Buses increase the amount of morning bus journeys on busy routes following Evening News story

Lothian Buses have increased the amount of journeys on one of their services following images emerging of a crowded bus on the busy Edinburgh route on Tuesday morning.

The image of an overcrowded Lothian bus was sent into the Evening News on Tuesday

An Evening News reader who sent the images in claimed that commuters are risking their health on a daily basis because of crowded buses.

The images, taken on the 6:50am route of the number 30 Lothian bus, shows several passengers standing with no social distancing in place.

The reader, a concerned mother who asked not to be named said: “My daughter works with very high risk children in hospital, and she herself is deemed at increased risk because of a condition she has, but has continued to work throughout the pandemic, taking every precaution to try to reduce the risk to her patients and herself.

"However, during this latest lockdown, this is the situation she has had to deal with five days a week on the No. 30 bus en route to the Sick Kids. How is this safe?

"This is the 6.50am bus, since Lothian Buses reduced the service. The next bus, 20 minutes later, has been even busier which is why my daughter tried leaving earlier in the hope this bus would be quiet, but obviously many people are using the (reduced) service.”

Following an article published by the paper the Capital bus firm has since added three extra journeys on the route which will service morning commuters.

On Twitter, a spokesperson for Lothian Buses wrote: “In response to customer feedback, we've added three extra journeys on our service 30 to provide better capacity for those who must travel at this time.

“These will operate from Fort Kinnaird to Longstone at the following times: 03:33, 06:54 & 07:14.

“Thank you for your feedback and patience.”

Additionally the company have also added additional journeys to provide more capacity on the service 29 from Gilmerton Terminus to Frederick Street at 7:13am and 8:13am and the service 49 from Wakefield Avenue (Portobello Road) to the Royal Infirmary at 7:04am.

When the original article was published on Tuesday a Lothian Buses spokeswoman said buses had continued to operate throughout the pandemic for those needing to travel and added the Scottish Government allowed a reduced physical distancing of one metre on public transport.

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