Same number of duties as previous years for drivers.
Not sure when the contract was signed and for how many years but Hospitals will always be served and Livingston Centre is very busy Boxing day so I'd imagine there will be a service of sorts.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
West Lothian buses
- Thread starter overthewater
- Start date
- Status
Not sure when the contract was signed and for how many years but Hospitals will always be served and Livingston Centre is very busy Boxing day so I'd imagine there will be a service of sorts.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
It was 2016, of course I can't see No 38 lasting on either day nor could I see the "26 ie west calder route"
The 38 runs out of Livingston depot and only covers Edinburgh to Linlithgow (West Lothian council paid for ) .
All parts of West Lothian need to be given access to St Johns ,in years gone past and pre St johns when it was Bangour a few drivers used to do runs without pay (I don't see that happening now) so I'd hope a service shall always be maintained for those who either work in NHS or have to visit on these days .
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
However how busy are is the 38 on all four days? The point being is this, if the council will not pay for the services anymore, and first and LCB decide there can only operate certain parts of the west Lothian area then services will be lost.
I agree but I would hope those less fortunate and those who have to work are thought off and WL council will continutme to fund a service at least to St Johns , it would not surprise if the owners of Livingston outlets would fund Boxing day and 2nd January to boost business .
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
The only company I can running the services on Boxing day and 2nd Jan would be LCB, Even then it would be the mainline routes ie Armadale, Bathgate, Broxburn, Edinburgh, 23/X27/X28 routes. Stagecoach Fife/Ayrshire operates commercially on Boxing day, there are plenty of areas point blank refuse to operate. Hence why I think you would be pushed to get West calder, fauldhouse or even whitburn being served.
Boxing day is very busy and ratio wise it would be foolish for First not to run a service. Xmas day and 1st January are quiet and need subsidy to be run .
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
I fear once LCB see their figures and losses for this venture and heads roll it might not even be an option as to who runs .
Or if First capitulate to LCB aggressive takeover of WL then again it won't be optional or a choice.
And if WL council withdraw funds to service St Johns they should be ashamed and I hope those responsible end up in a hospital bed at Xmas with no visitors or staff to tend to them!!
Nope due to subsidy being available they would be madness.First Scotland East has never operated commercial on Boxing day or 2nd
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
West Lothian council is one of the last places that pay for such services, not even Glasgow get this luxury
Tell that to the nice people in Falkirk and Stirling area
They vote for the ****ers lolWest Lothian council is one of the last places that pay for such services, not even Glasgow get this luxury
Tell that to the nice people in Falkirk and Stirling area
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
Stirling is run by Torys and SNP, Falkirk is run by the SNP and WL is run by SNP and tories..
Yup all as self centred as the rest and showing it is obviously individuals making choices and not a party decision . As I said what cones around goes around and in Time maybe one of these will be in position many find stuck in hospitals with no visitors or staff able to get in due to no "PUBLIC SERVICE" of transport .
Disgusting. ..
Darklord8899
Member
- Joined
- 6 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 679
.....so really what your saying is the tax payer should pay?!
Seeing as the hospitals are funded by the NHS which is funded from our taxes....
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Further to that Hospitals are strapped for cash as it is! I'd rather money was spent on saving lives rather than pleasing Doris who wants to go "1 stop please driver".
Darklord8899
Member
- Joined
- 6 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 679
Exactly Jordan!
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
See all those people that keep on complaining to First and LCB about the lack of bus service between West Calder, Bents and Bathgate. Their never used the dam service, and even one has tried to operate it commercial but has always failed. Worse still the evening service was costing £34 per person. Taxis are cheaper...
Last edited:
Darklord8899
Member
- Joined
- 6 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 679
.....Maybe that's the answer.... demand responsive service/taxi bus/dial-a-ride or whatever you want to call it.....
SpeedbirdA350
Member
You can lead a horse to the water, you can't make it take a drink... this case, LCB can put on a service but you can't make the public use it... so how do they try coax the public on to the service? Lower fares, more frequent service and faster journeys... but they come at a cost. How does it work on the city model? New route goes in, but folk can buy a £4 day ticket, use a ridacard or pay £1.70. LCB prices are all over the place, no ridacard option and several day ticket options. It needs to be more streamlined IMO but as I have said a few times, a ridacard locks people in to your product. If you get a gift card from Tesco, you WILL shop at Tesco using that card and if it were cheaper than a rival, and easier, you'd more likely to continue to lock yourself in by topping up that gift card... same with the ridacard. Lothian could make an add on option so you have a Ridacard Plus which covers both LCB and LB and even ECB too meaning they will use LCB instead of First which puts money in the company and then it can expand...
As for a dial-a-bus type service, this might be good for the elderly folk but if you have 20 people going 20 different places it would make the journey super long (if it were based on shared taxi style of course). (unless I have misunderstood the point)
What happened last year with buses in West Lothian going to St Johns on Christmas and New Years?
As for a dial-a-bus type service, this might be good for the elderly folk but if you have 20 people going 20 different places it would make the journey super long (if it were based on shared taxi style of course). (unless I have misunderstood the point)
What happened last year with buses in West Lothian going to St Johns on Christmas and New Years?
Gingerbus1991
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 992
A normal, weekly purchased ticket is what people would want in West Lothian as its what they've been used for years even more so if that weekly ticket was cheaper than Firsts equivalent, especially as many may not want to part with £50 for example up front for a bundle on LCB, I do think that a Ridacard+ would be great addition for West Lothian though, especially if it ment people could get a discount on singles to edinburgh if they only wanted to use it around West Lothian only with an occasional trip to Edinburgh, imagen a discounted £1.70 single to edinburgh from livi if they showed there West Lothian only ridacard, I think that would also help weekender type goin on the bevvy or the occasional shopper goin to the city...
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
Its clear Lothian do not want do such a thing. SpeedbirdA350 to answer you Q: buses were paid for by the council last year, as with this year. Next year is unknown.
SpeedbirdA350
Member
If the people want a 7 day ticket, then why not give them what they want? If it were priced slightly cheaper than First, then it would be even better for people and would help get more pax on board. Are Lothian playing dumb or are they actually?
Thanks overthewater. I would like to hope next year Lothian will put on some service, be it the X27/28 or even merge 2 routes on a special service or something which would benefit more people without having to have too many drivers working. I guess time will tell though and it also depends who is in charge next year too.
I do wonder however with the rollout of contactless payment if that will help get more people onboard but then again, I think I read somewhere on this thread that First have contactless anyway.
Thanks overthewater. I would like to hope next year Lothian will put on some service, be it the X27/28 or even merge 2 routes on a special service or something which would benefit more people without having to have too many drivers working. I guess time will tell though and it also depends who is in charge next year too.
I do wonder however with the rollout of contactless payment if that will help get more people onboard but then again, I think I read somewhere on this thread that First have contactless anyway.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
FirstBus have had Contactless UK wide for a few months now. It won't really attract any new passengers, and it certainly won't get any passengers from First. But it speeds up journey times and convenience.
PaulLothian
Member
I don't think SNP would thank you for that statement. Labour administration supported by Conservatives. Much less surprising!
I think when they release the figures for the first 6 months trading in WL you will see why they will be in no position to lessen revenue or take massive gambles on Ridacards or such like .
I do agree they are missing a massive trick by not implementing a 7 day ticket although they possibly don't want to duplicate exactly what First do but as was stated it what the people have been used to for quite some time.
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,172
The half price M ticket bundles are supposed to come to an end with the next two weeks?
- Status