Lothian Buses

Edinburgh has the best public bus service of anywhere I’ve ever lived. The timetable is comprehensive; from sparrow’s fart to the midnight hour, plus night buses in between. And the frequency is exceptional! On weekdays, if I miss a bus (every other day), I don’t have to wait long for the next one to come, or can easily find an alternative bus going in the same direction.
The value for money is wonderful, especially when you are traveling the length of the bus route, which is the same price as just going a few stops. In the city centre, the stops are very close together, which is mighty convenient, although can be a downside in delaying the journey.
I have the utmost respect for bus drivers. On a daily basis, they have negotiate vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians not necessarily doing what they should. They have to deal with unwarranted abuse from some unsavoury passengers and can do nothing but take it. I am always impressed when I am greeted with a hello or a smile and am very happy to thank them when I get off.

This is my humble review of Lothian Busses and the public transportation system in Edinburgh.
First off, let me note that I come from a city in the Western United States that didn’t really develop into a large city until the mid-​1980s and therefore did not have the need for a comprehensive public transportation system for a long time. In other words, I come from a city that did not place any emphasis on having a functioning bus system until the late 1990s when the growth of the city finally forced local politicians to address the need for public transportation. So I really do know what a underwhelming bus system looks like.
Edinburgh, DOES NOT have such a system.
Edinburgh has a wonderful local public transportation system that many cities would (and should) be envious of. I have lived in Edinburgh since August and I started using the busses almost immediately. I picked up a ridecard pretty early on as well and the convenience of it was great. These busses run at a great frequency, with lots of routes and start early and finish late (with night busses as well), which my city does not have.
I have never waited over 15 minutes for a bus to get me where I needed to go. A lot of the busses also run routes that stop at similar places, so you can get more than one to take you to your destination. This is a smart move by Lothian Busses to route the busses this way when they can. This is not common where I am from, one bus per route and that is usually your only option. Edinburgh did a great job at route-​placing and making sure that there are lots of options for people with minimal wait time.
In my experience, the busses generally run on time. If not, sometimes they are a bit early. I have never had a bus later than 2 – 3 minutes, which is not bad if you consider traffic, construction, and other factors. The busses to important places like the airport are plentiful (with the Airlink 100, which is awesome) and the Edinburgh Tram available as well. I know that the bus system isn’t perfect (show me one that is), but in my view, Edinburgh has a very efficient and excellent public transportation system.
Lothian Busses has made my time in Edinburgh much easier from the commutes to school, to getting to places like the airport, this city has a nice bus system that is much better than places I’ve lived in, including my hometown.

I’ve been a casual user of the buses for a few years, but I now have to commute to work and recently purchased a Ridacard. Man, unlimited travel is really good.
There’s plenty of bus stops everywhere in Edinburgh, sometimes as close to just 100yds apart in hilly areas. Services are very frequent on the busy corridors (8 minutes). It can sometimes get caught in traffic in areas without bus lanes or in Princes Street but the extent of the network and the frequency of service is fantastic for a city the size of Edinburgh.
A couple of things: no night services on the ²³⁄₂₇ corridor from Canonmills to Tollcross; that could come in handy. Some areas don’t have so many bus stops (Marchmont anyone?). Also some routes popular with students don’t have a bus alternative when the weather is bad, thinking about Haymarket — Dalry — Gorgie to Merchiston — Morningside for example. You have to connect in the City Centre which is long so you’ll take the 30 minute walk in the rain any time… Also an «Oyster» type of prepaid card that automatically caps at £3.50 after 3 journeys thus avoiding thinking whether to take a single or day ticket would be great — Ridacard can be too expensive for some users and the m-​tickets never solved that problem.
Apart from that, really impressive. On par or even better than some bus services in similar-​sized French cities. And miles better than privatised bus services elsewhere in Scotland (First? Are you listening?)

I have always suffered from bus anxiety. How do I know which number to get? Which is my stop? How do I plan a route? What will the fare be?
I love Edinburgh and I don’t want to leave, but above all, I don’t ever want to have to deal with a bus service that isn’t Lothian Buses ever again. Let me put you in the picture. I lived in a tiny rural Yorkshire village ten minutes’ drive from the nearest town. There were six buses there per day and the return fare was more than £6, varying depending which bit of the town you wanted to get off at.
Lothian Buses make EVERYTHING easy. Going somewhere, madam? £1.50. Coming back, madam? Another £1.50. Going to be doing lots of journeys today, madam? £3.50 day ticket. Boom. Pricing sorted.
Where are you going today, madam? Check the app. This is your bus stop. These are the services that will take you there. This is when they are due, and how long each journey will take. This is the stop you need to get off at. Some of our buses even have screens, madam, to tell you which stop you are approaching, so that you will know it is time to get off.
And can we also talk about the fact that they run on time? Yep, they run on time. They go everywhere and they run on time. And if you don’t have the correct change for your fare, you can buy a magical e-​ticket through the app so you can just wave your phone at the driver. Kaboom.
Lothian Buses are proof that it’s possible to run an efficient, timely service at excellent value to the ticket-​buyer. Hooray!

Have had to use LRT for a few days (no transport). Got times of buses I needed to use from their web site and went to the stop 5 mins early (just in case I missed it)
Always end up waiting 5 mins, get on /​pay fare £1.50 /​sit down and check time on my ticket. Which has always been +/​– 1 minute from time table. How do they do it ???
Oh, and the Night Service is a real bargain.£3.50 from Penicuik to Crewe Toll !!!

Very good service. I’ve never noticed more than one minute of delay during my week in Edinburgh.
I’ve read some complaints, here, about the alleged rudeness of the drivers, because they don’t reply with a smile to the passengers’ query. Well, I come from a nation where it’s simply forbidden to talk to the drivers and I can easily understand why. Driving in the city traffic is such a stressful effort, when I make it by my own car, that I can’t imagine how hard it can be to think also to the dimensions, the doors, the passengers, the stops, the clock… I’ve never thought to say them more than a «thanks». I studied the Lothian Buses system before to jump in for the first time. I learned about the «precise change» rule and collected it in time. Just a few minutes to get a map at the tourists information office, was the well deserved price for one week of comfortable trips.
I liked more the two floor buses, that offer a beautiful view over the city attractions, at a very low cost (£ 3,5 for a whole day ticket), compared with the touristic coaches. It has been easy to reach also some places far from the city centre, like Cramond Village or the Ocean Terminal.
Really a very good value for money.

Pretty good service. The buses generally run on time and drivers are usually very nice. They do a tough job and for the most part they do it without a lot of fuss. They will not give you directions but they can tell you which stop is closest for a well-​known place and I have even seen them give me a shout when it was the stop they knew I wanted. I’ve lived in a lot of cities and none of them had this good a service. The bus app for iPhone is useful. As a general rule, if
you are going to use the bus more than twice in a day, get the day ticket.

always add extra time for the bus to arrive. do not trust the time indicators! 10min is about 20 min or so.

As an outsider from the States, I find the using the Lothian Buses is a good way to wander around the city. For about £3 I get to travel all around the city and get around. The buses are cleaner and newer than ones in Boston and NYC (but who aren’t though?). Bus-​drivers are mostly friendly and helpful. I just walk on the main streets, hop on a bus and then let the buses do the work.
One problem I did have is to figure out the schedules. Maps at the bus stands are hard tp figure out on the fly, especially if you want to go to a specific place. I would recommend asking other people first.
Despite all that, I thank the bus system for taking me to places in Edinburgh, making the city much more accessible.

PART 1:
My apologies now for the rant you’re about to endure, however when I saw the average rating of LRT Buses was 4.5 stars I told myself I couldn’t let this madness go on any longer.
Having used LRT consistently for the past 15 years, the only other consistent that has remained prominent over this time is one single solitary burning question…
Why oh why didn’t I learn to drive sooner?
Yes, LRT has won numerous awards for best public transport provider and many of the reviews here praise their strength in numbers. But that is just one aspect of what makes a customer-​facing business like this a successful one. What about customer service? What about communication? What about consideration for the elderly and disabled? I’ve seen women thrown to the floor on LRT buses, shopping bags scattering due to the driver’s impatient driving.
So LRT boasts an impressively massive fleet, which I agree is a plus… if you use the 22 or 26 routes, because that is where the bulk of their number resides, popping up a little over every 5 minutes. There are also the mid-​range routes such as 3, 29, 33 and 7, you’re talking every 10 – 15 minutes at best. But if you’re waiting on the 8 or the 15 or any of the other limited routes not deemed worthy enough by LRT… heaven help ya!
Back when I used to travel from Little France (the new Infirmary to the townies) to Cannonmills via the number 8, the bus was late more often than not. On more than one occasion I waited 45 minutes for the next one. This is a bus that should turn up every 15 minutes!!!
Strength in numbers. That’ll win you awards. Especially when the only local competition is First Buses who service a grand total of about 4 routes.
LRT’s new innovation are these new Bus Trackers that tell you when the bus is due. Genius really, a masterstroke… if you have no concept of time! These Trackers have been the reason for the longest 2 minutes of my life on far too regular a basis. 2 minutes my eye! The way the Tracker works is it defaults 2 minutes between every stop with a Tracker. So when it says «Due», it really means the bus is at the next prior stop with a Tracker and will take as long as it takes to get from one t’other. A lot can — and evidently does — happen between two bus stops. This erratic manipulation of time in turn compounds the LRT Bus Tracker App, in theory their greatest asset, if only five minutes was actually five minutes.
Also on that note, yes the Tracker is giving you a good idea of when to expect the bus… but is anyone checking the timetable to see if said bus is actually on time in the first place?
But it’s none of the above that gets my goat the most. LRT’s shining light in their smörgåsbord of failings is, without question, the collection of reprobates they recruit to man their fleet. Ask me if the driver who caused the woman to fall got out of his booth to help her. Ask me if the driver who was 30 minutes late offered an apology or even an excuse as to his lateness.
These are but two examples of some of the worst customer service I’ve ever known, but my entire adult life — from age 15 to now — has been laced with shoddy service from arrogant, sarcastic, unrelenting and unhelpful idiots who call themselves bus drivers.
Oh where shall I begin:
Exhibit A: The Polish Family
Coming home from football, the bus stopped outside a Morrisons supermarket and let on a Polish couple with their young son, potential Christmas present in hand and happy as Larry with his new toy. While the husband fished for change in his pockets, the wife got on and sat down, plonking her two large bags of shopping on the floor; the husband had two further heavy bags of goods. The driver waited patiently. After the husband had already thrown in a pound or so, he ran out of change and asked the driver how much he was due. When the driver told him the man asked if the driver had change. Now every LRT stalwart will know how much of a faux pas this is as the buses — correction; LRT — don’t give change. This Polish chap however, could be forgiven for not knowing this. The driver, in his bluntest, most unhelpful tone, declared «I don’t give change» and shrugged off the man’s broken English and his very presence. With nothing left being offered him, the man called to his wife to get back off the bus, at which point I intervened and donated £2 to their cause. More to get one up on the driver than to do a good deed. He wouldn’t let the couple away with what was probably less than £1; I mean it wasn’t like there hadn’t been probably dozens of people throughout the day plopping in 70p extra because they didn’t have the exact £1.30 fare. But he would happily have taken the £2 the man had already put into the fare metre.
END OF PART 1.
(PART 2:
)
And continuous rantings and ravings:

Sometimes it’s only when you see how crappy everywhere else has it that you realise how great the transport in your city actually is.
Recent forays to other cities with uncomfortable, over expensive, unreliable and overcrowded buses has made me even more appreciative of our reliable red and white behemoths.
Always (mostly) on time, the buses prove themselves reliable enough for you to be able to memorise the timetable and be fairly certain when they’re coming — in any case the trackers at the stops and the rather excellent bus app (for those with iphones and androids) let you know where you need to be and how long you’re going to wait.
The various passes prove themselves to be excellent value for money for those living in and around the city — in fact I was amazed when heading to other cities (*cough* Manchester *cough*) that they don’t even offer monthly subscriptions. £45 per month by direct debit gets you unlimited access to all the buses in and around the city — the coverage network is great and it’s reassuring to know that no matter where in Edinburgh I might end up on my ridiculous adventures, I’m never too far away from a ride back to the city.
For those visiting Edinburgh, the flat fee no change given thing might be slightly confusing, but does offer good value for money when venturing across or out of the city.
Even the night coverage is great (if a little expensive) but will still be cheaper than a taxi if you’re travelling alone.
All in all Lothian buses are an integral part of what makes Edinburgh great for me and something that I’ll sorely miss should I ever decide to leave here — for all those locals who like to complain about their public transport; take a trip to another city and then see how you feel about these guys…

As an outsider, I hate to get involved in an issue as sensitive to residents of any city anywhere as public transport.
The Lothian Buses did everything I needed to them to do. Reliable, inexpensive (if you have the day pass) and drivers alerted me when we neared the stop I wanted. The view from the upper deck was a lagniappe.

You know you’re getting old (er) when you enjoy nothing more than having a wee whine about the buses.
I didn’t realise quite how short-​changed we were in Glasgow until I sampled Edinburgh’s public transport, and now I think I might move there just for that fact. Like Marj said, it’s not a review of First Bus in Glasgow but it’s very difficult not to draw comparison when you have had both sides of the spectrum.
Lothian Buses, in my experience, are frequent and punctual. They are spotlessly clean and modern. They have drivers who are mainly friendly, helpful and don’t mind one bit giving you a yell when it’s your stop. They explain the fare, explain how the tickets work and even flash you a wee smile and a thanks as you hop off the bus. The fares are fantastic. It’s a £1.20 flat fare where ever you travel or 70p for a child, 5 – 15 years old. If you plan on travelling around, then it’s a brilliant £3 all day adult ticket fare, which is outstanding value for the City.
Overall, the buses in Edinburgh kick the buses in Glasgow’s arse big time, and we could take a huge lesson from Lothian.

Buses are for two groups of people — the people who know where they’re going and the tourists who know nothing about the city or how to get from A to B.
Since I fall in the second group for Edinburgh, I can say that I was at first a little bit confused and slightly lost. That cleared up very quickly once I was directed to the Lothian office near Waverley Bridge. A friendly and helpful clerk (who must deal with people like me day-​in and day-​out) was able to explain the day ticket (£3? All day? Yes.) and provide me with a map of the bus routes. Five minutes later, I was waiting at my stop and five minutes after that, I was in the front row of a double-​decker on the way to my destination.
The bus ticket is surprisingly simple and very clever. I purchased three, as I’m here three days. Each one has a series of scratch offs for the day, month and year. You just scratch off the right date and you’re good to go. Nice.
The buses I’ve ridden have been clean and prompt. While the ride may be speedy, the roads are a little bumpy. I think my driver yesterday actually missed one of the drains! They also have an iPhone app (jeez, there’s an app for everything!) so you can find the nearest stop and when the bus is due to arrive.

We have a really good and pretty extensive bus service in Edinburgh, hence the constant cry from people that like to whinge a lot, when they’re talking about the trams, along the lines of «Why do we need all this tram disruption and chaos when we have a perfectly decent bus service?» etc etc. To be honest, we’re getting the trams now, and that’s that, so I think all the moaners should really move on to something else. Although I know the trams have affected people’s businesses, so I’m not trying to be insensitive.
Anyway, this review is not about the trams, so back to the buses. I jump on a bus nearly every day into town, of which there are loads from where I live, and I can zoom into town in about 5 mins sometimes. No issues with Lothian buses really, Edinburgh’s small anyway so you can always get to where you want to go, plus you can get a day ticket for £3, pretty reasonable if you’re intending on doing a lot of travelling.

Us Weegies used to gloat at our bus services compared to those in the Burgh. I remember when I wee wondering at how expensive the buses in Edinburgh were compared to our glowing orange, ramshackle ones. Even though the paint was peeling and the seats smelled foosty, Glasgow used to have a good reputation for affordable transport.
Not anymore.
Now, it costs me £1.50 to get into town in Glasgow when it’s a 15 minute walk! And the prices creep up monthly, it seems. Sorry, I need to remember I’m not reviewing Glasgow buses — pardon me. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Lothian buses are so much more affordable than First bus! Clean, spacious and punctual, the bus drivers of Auld Reekie seem less grumpy than their Weegie buds, not to mention more helpful when you’re looking for directions.
As for tickets, £1.20 to get you from one side of the city to another is fantastic. It’s like the recession hardly happened! And £3 for an all day in a capital city is amazing. Not even the grumpiest old man could be disgruntled by how affordable that is. All routes seem to be teeming with buses as well, and no matter where you’re going the vehicles are well signed (generally the front of the bus will tell you its main stopping points before its last destination).
Regular, affordable and well looked after, Lothian buses have you covered! As well as providing good transport for locals, they are easy for tourists to work out as far as I can see — which is more than can be said of Glasgow’s services in comparison.

I hate buses. They are expensive, dirty and dont go where you want them too. Thats why I have a car.
However, I cant afford to keep my car in Edinburgh, and as such I have found myself to be useing more and more public transport.
Buses in Edinburgh are different to other places though — I’ve noticed that the Lothian buses are clean, cheap (£1,20 ANYWHERE in the city and outside of it too) and more importantly, they go everywhere. There isnt anywhere you cant get on Lothian buses — and within a relativly short time too, they show up all the time, which is handy.
If all buses were like this, I would reconsider my opinion on buses.

Apart from a slightly hairy episode outside Edinburgh Airport where I swear I smelt gin on the driver’s breath, I’ve got to hand it to Lothian buses. Compared to the First Bus efforts that operate elsewhere, their carriages are positively luxurious, and I’m especially fond of the natty tartan seats. At only £1.30 a pop as well, it’s actually significantly cheaper than the rival option.
Due to the lack of a suburban rail network, bus travel in Edinburgh doesn’t have the stigma it does in other cities. Here, actual human beings who are economically active use this form of transport, and while you’ll still be sharing breathing space with a few crackheads and shoplifters on your journey, a Lothian bus isn’t actually a bad way to travel at all.

Why doesn’t every other city employ the same fare system as Lothian Buses! This question I have repeatedly asked myself when travelling across Edinburgh using the Lothian bus service. With a set fare of £1.20 for a single and £3 for a day ticket (Adult prices), regardless of distance, Lothian buses is a great alternative to a comparatively expensive taxi.
The recent implementation of an electronic times and expected arrival board (present at nearly all bus stops in Edinburgh) is yet another convenient and easy method for using this already great service.

Having no car, my best option of travel within Edinburgh is Lothian Buses.
£1.20 gets you anywhere in Edinburgh on their routes, how great is that? But when I moved to Edinburgh it was £1, and two years before that it was 80p so I imagine it will go up to £1.30 soon enough.
Lothian Buses go just about everywhere in Edinburgh and the services are pretty regular. There is the handy bus tracker at most bus stops which gives an estimate of how long your bus will be. Watch it though because some times it lies. I always stand at the bus stop waiting, waiting, waiting for my Lothian Bus as 3 First buses go by heading in the same direction but for some reason I just can’t get on one.
The bus drivers are generally pretty grumpy although can be helpful. I would probably be grumpy too if I had to drive a Lothian Bus given some of the crap they have to put up with. By crap I mean the Neds which frequent most Lothian buses and engage in activities ranging from smoking, playing tinny tunes on their mobile phone for everyone to hear, abusing other passengers, peeing (yes sometimes they ask you to move so they can pee, sometimes they wont ask you to move), groping each other or fighting. As long as you avoid the top deck of the bus then you should avoid that.
Overall Lothian Buses are great for getting you in and around Edinburgh at a cheap price and fairly quickly. Thanks to those pesky tram works they run a bit slower than in the past. But Lothian buses go to pretty much every major attraction in Edinburgh and they are super easy to use.

Den öffentlichen Transport in der gesamten Stadt und ins Umland übernehmen verschiedene Busgesellschaften, wobei der Lothian Regional Transport (LRT) mit den typischen roten Doppeldeckerbussen und First Edinburgh (SMT) mit grün-​gelben Doppeldecker– und Normalbussen die bekanntesten Unternehmen sind.
Beide Gesellschaften nutzen die gleichen Haltestellen und fahren ähnliche Linien. Für Einzelfahrten muss man die exakte Summe an Kleingeld bereithalten, da die Busfahrer nicht wechseln.
Tagsüber gibt es ein dichtes Netz von Routen, die von mehreren Linien im Zehn-​Minuten-​Abstand bedient werden. Ab etwa ²³⁄₂₄ Uhr übernehmen Nachtbusse den Transport.
Neben Einzelbustickets, gibt es das Day Saver Ticket dass einen Tag unbegrenzte Fahrt mit allen normalen Diensten von LRT gewährt. Streifentickets mit 20 Karten kosten etwa 18 £. Einzeltickets können beim Fahrer gelöst werden. Das Day Saver Ticket gibt es im Voraus im Travelshop der LRT in der Hanover Street und im Waverley Bridge Ticket Centre.
Ein Nachteil beim Busfahren für den Ortsunkundigen in Edinburgh besteht übrigens darin, dass sowohl an den Haltestellen wie im Bus nur die Haltestellen der jeweiligen Linie angegeben sind. Es gibt aber keine Übersicht über das gesamte Streckennetz, woraus man ersehen kann, wo man umsteigen muss.
Die Buslinien sind allerdings besonders für die Innenstadt gut konzipiert, der ZOB liegt in der Nähe des St. James Centre in der Neustadt.

Das Bussystem ist in Edinburgh wirklich sehr gut und man kann jede Ecke erreichen. Haeufig ist es auch angenehmer als fahrradfahren, da es manchmal schon sehr steil werden kann. Eine Einzelfahrt kostet 1,10 und ein Tagesticket 2,50. Im vergleich zu deutschen Preisen ist das ein Schnaeppchen. Ich bin mir allerdings nicht ganz sicher, ob man einen Nachtzuschlag zahlen muss.
Uebringens: Ihr solltest immer passend zahlen, es gibt kein Wechselgeld!