Amongst all the other bad news around, news has come in of even more cutbacks in local bus services. Along with my MSP colleague Malcolm Chisholm, we've taken up with the Council and Lothian buses the cuts in a number of bus services which were announced a few months ago. And, slipped out just before Christmas is the news that there is to be another big round of bus cutbacks - and they will be coming into force as early as this Sunday. In the Edinburgh North & Leith area, the 17 and X12 are to be taken off completely - and services are to be cut on the 7, 10, 23, 26, 42 and 44 (there may be others which haven't been publicised).
The line coming from the City Council is that these cuts, along with the fare increases, are due to the economic downturn and cost increases. I find that hard to accept - after all, people have still to get around, and if anything I would have thought it people might be MORE likely to leave the car at home and take the bus. And as far as putting it down to cost increases, I thought that the cost of fuel had gone down again sharply
Monday, January 12, 2009
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2 comments:
It is a disgrace that the 17 has been taken off, combined with the change of route of the 13 means people at the Rodney Street area have only an 8. I am a person with mobility difficulties, so for people like me, the elderly, mothers with pushchairs etc having to make changes with buses to enable us to get where we need to be is very very distressing. Even bus drivers have commented that they dont know why the 17 was removed, especially in light of the 13 changes. Please please try to get this reinstated. In order to not become a prisoner in my own hoem, I try to get out andabout while I can, but this makes it all so difficult. Thanyou
Can't help but wonder whether a few less spangly new buses might've meant Lothian Buses had a few more pounds in the kitty to keep services running.
I mean, as super as it is to have an all-new fleet, even their older buses are still perfectly serviceable, in this day and age a bit more 'make do and mend' might've been appropriate!
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