West Lothian buses

[Driver362]

Some people will obviously know what LCB means but not everyone.

Not necessarily your posts but other people. However, not going to call people out....

really

LRT ran the 9/63/64 into West Lothian.

In layman terms, withdrawing these/ cutting them back into the city boundaries (and coming out of South Queensferry too) was the price that they paid for Eastern/ SMT coming out of various Edinburgh estates and cutting back to just the main roads within the city.

Obviously for "competition" reasons, there was no official deal, it was just pure coincidence that LRT came out of West Lothian at the same time in 1994 that SMT abandoned some reasonably long established "city" routes (Oxgangs? Muirhouse?) and cut back the frequency of routes like the "CitySprinter" C55 etc (as well as abandoning extensions like the Bathgate services that ran through to Lochend) - pure coincidence!

But I don't think it's fair to say that the LRT operations "didn't work" - they were scaled back/withdrawn as the price to pay for SMT abandoning lucrative territory inside the city. If the 9/63/64 were failing then SMT wouldn't have been worried about them and would have been happy to continue routes like the C1 that had been in operation since deregulation eight years earlier.

Certainly the 9/63/64 must have hit a nerve with SMT because they upped the Edinburgh - Bathgate frequency to four/hour and introduced new "Diamond" standards to the 27 corridor.

It's a bit like saying that the First service 56 to Ballingray "failed" because they withdrew it (at the same time that Stagecoach coincidently pulled out of some juicy corridors in Glasgow)... in reality it was a pawn exchanged to secure a monopoly elsewhere (just like the 9/63/64).

 

[Driver362]

really

Think that sums it up perfect.


Thank you

362

 

[GaryMcEwan]

I used contactless on the 280 in Livingston this afternoon. What machines and and contactless pad are they using? I'm assuming it's Wayfarer?

Slow and clunky was an understatement. I don't see the reason why the ticket machine can't have the contactless reader in built to the ticket machine.

I thought contactless was meant to be easier to use not harder...

 

[Observer]

Lothian is rolling out Wayfarer 6 units. Not many operators going for them nowadays, that's for sure.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Your clearly missing the point.............. Im not talking about main area, Im talking about Kirkliston................... Same company two different fares...

How can this actually work, the people of kirkliston will not see any difference buy the riderscards and be told you have pay more? Or wait for 63 and change to the tram? I doubt that will go down very well..

I suppose with the X18 you could connect with the 63 at Gogarburn and still use the £4 Daysaver, Unless LCB take over the 63 in that case that idea is out of the window, but still makes for a good connection until Lothian decide to bring something direct eventually

wouldn't be in the Deans South area by chance that bit of land next to FSE don't want to speculate
Oh... don't pull the 287 from wester inch

That would be very cheeky to open a garage next to the competition

 

[overthewater]

63 is a council tender and as such will not allow that extra fare zone.

 

[VioletEclipse]

63 is a council tender and as such will not allow that extra fare zone.

Is it the same with service 20?

 

[Gingerbus1991]

63 is a council tender and as such will not allow that extra fare zone.

Only if the council intend to continue the tender in the future.

Of course, if this was to end I reckon you would see it change over to LCB.

 

[overthewater]

Why would the council end it? Its one of the more used services.

 

[In Focus]

Indeed - still the season of goodwill and all that!

Ps I worked in Darlington in 1993/4 - that was fairly tasty

I worked in Bathgate and Livingston in 1994 that was also tasty

 

[In Focus]

wouldn't be in the Deans South area by chance that bit of land next to FSE don't want to speculate
Oh... don't pull the 287 from wester inch

What land exists on Deans Road?
Wait until it snows lol .

 

[overthewater]

Lothian must be losses a tone today having a Sunday service. Why did the council kept most of the first routes running today, seems like a waste.

 

[Darklord8899]

... 2nd January is a normal working day to a lot of people
Sunday service is probably about right level of service
I'm lucky that I have holidays over Christmas and New year.
In my last job we only got 25th, 26th December and 1st January (we got good Friday in place of the 2nd)

 

[overthewater]

Many places are still shut. Many areas still have no bus service today.

 

[livi man]

Lothian must be losses a tone today having a Sunday service. Why did the council kept most of the first routes running today, seems like a waste.

First have done these days before lcb came out here

 

[livi man]

Just a usual day for lcb losing money lol

 

[In Focus]

Lothian must be losses a tone today having a Sunday service. Why did the council kept most of the first routes running today, seems like a waste.

To be fair Livingston Centre and outlet was open and it was very busy so I'd guess that was the target market today .

 

[yorkie]

Just a reminder that if anyone wishes to have a casual conversation with another member, you are very welcome to use this site for this, but please create a conversation, rather than post it in a discussion thread about a particular topic. Thanks!

 

[In Focus]

Just a reminder that if anyone wishes to have a casual conversation with another member, you are very welcome to use this site for this, but please create a conversation, rather than post it in a discussion thread about a particular topic. Thanks!

Hi can you define " casual conversation ".?

 

[Bungle965]

Lothian is rolling out Wayfarer 6 units. Not many operators going for them nowadays, that's for sure.

The only other major operator that I can think of that still uses them is Transdev in Burnley, the rest of their operations have changed to Ticketer.
They don't have contactless enabled on them either as it is too expensive to implement.
Sam

 

[yorkie]

Hi can you define " casual conversation ".?

This thread is titled "Lothian Country buses expand into West Lothian" so any replies should be related to that topic, and of potential interest to anyone following the thread. It's not really the most appropriate place for a couple of people to have a conversation about what they are doing that day. It's very easy to create a conversation.

If anyone has any concerns regarding a specific post (or posts), please use the report button. To contact us more generally use the Contact Us form (link at the bottom of each page).

Many thanks

 

[In Focus]

This thread is titled "Lothian Country buses expand into West Lothian" so any replies should be related to that topic, and of potential interest to anyone following the thread. It's not really the most appropriate place for a couple of people to have a conversation about what they are doing that day. It's very easy to create a conversation.

If anyone has any concerns regarding a specific post (or posts), please use the report button. To contact us more generally use the Contact Us form (link at the bottom of each page).

Many thanks

Apologies, didn't see any personal conversations .

 

[TheEastCoaster]

I asked this on the other Lothian Buses forum but thought i’d get the ball rolling on here also, It’s been ages since the last network service changes and about almost 5 months since LCB expanded, I know there’s the whole depot change, Phase 4 and monthly ticket shabang to roll out for LCB, but for the services already rolled out (except the X18 and N28 since their still new) isn’t a service change expected soon in the next month or two?

 

[overthewater]

Why? Why does there need to be another service change? Everything is ticking over.

 

[In Focus]

I asked this on the other Lothian Buses forum but thought i’d get the ball rolling on here also, It’s been ages since the last network service changes and about almost 5 months since LCB expanded, I know there’s the whole depot change, Phase 4 and monthly ticket shabang to roll out for LCB, but for the services already rolled out (except the X18 and N28 since their still new) isn’t a service change expected soon in the next month or two?

Like first who have responded to public meeting in Dedridge and altered 27 and have put 22 back to St Johns and extended 26a to cover the Bathgate ,Deans ,Knightsridge,Ladywell, st John's issue ,there are no more significant passenger numbers to be had ,what you have is what is there to be divided between 2 big companies ,just how that divides up percentage wise is for the public to decide ,but if LCB think like the City West Lothian gets a summer influx of people then they are going to be dissapointed.
Of course LCB are going to attempt a service into West Calder area as they are obviously monitoring numbers on 26 at Livingston so it will be very much tit for tat until someone blinks.

 

[overthewater]

Lothian would be made to expand any further unless it tidy ups is current network. I still stand by my point there is scoupe for brand new passengers, but the someone will have to try out brand new ideas... I still believe you could get a service to Edinburgh north and make it work, I believe you could convince more people to use the bus to travel to the Kirkton campus or Tesco but you would need to convince people.

 

[In Focus]

Lothian would be made to expand any further unless it tidy ups is current network. I still stand by my point there is scoupe for brand new passengers, but the someone will have to try out brand new ideas... I still believe you could get a service to Edinburgh north and make it work, I believe you could convince more people to use the bus to travel to the Kirkton campus or Tesco but you would need to convince people.

First ran a service 631 (if memory serves) to North of Edinburgh taking in Telford college and Western General hosp and into Ocean terminal it never really caught on although it had a few AM going in and PM out from college ,
Kirkton as said before is 5/10 years to late as most big employers MIM,Ethicon,Lloyds ,Centrex have all gone and the cars around the Alba Campus tell you all you need to know about those places and wages paid in the research facilities up there .Sky really only major employers in Kirkton now.
It's a very hard area to convince people public transport is a better option than thier cars.

 

[overthewater]

631 and Nordi service before that DID get full loads at peak time, alas First had a problem what to do with the buses out with peaks? There really should have had a bus coming out at 12 and back in for 1. There was just not enough buses to cover everything, or allowed to sit around empty during the day. It's the reason why 651 never started until after 9.30 in Fife, since other three am journeys come off peak am buses into Edinburgh, then run light to Kirkilston. Even of late, there was a two hour gap on the 22a from Queensferry around 16.30ish because the bus ran light to edinburgh to pick up peak Journey.

It's a very hard area to convince people public transport is a better option than their cars.

It can be done but you have to put in some effect.

 

[In Focus]

631 and Nordi service before that DID get full loads at peak time, alas First had a problem what to do with the buses out with peaks? There really should have had a bus coming out at 12 and back in for 1. There was just not enough buses to cover everything, or allowed to sit around empty during the day. It's the reason why 651 never started until after 9.30 in Fife, since other three am journeys come off peak am buses into Edinburgh, then run light to Kirkilston. Even of late, there was a two hour gap on the 22a from Queensferry around 16.30ish because the bus ran light to edinburgh to pick up peak Journey.


It can be done but you have to put in some effect.

Yes that's the ones , Nordi travel I remember ,fella ended up driving at First for a while,I always thought that 631 had prospects, it still runs with SD Travel doing a few journeys to same areas not sure how busy it is though.
As someone whose lived in and driven buses in WL for 30 years I just don't think those with a car even consider bus as a possibility although perhaps the rising cost of owning a car might have an effect going forward.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

It appears LCB have once again extended their m-ticket offer, this time with no expiration date.