Category: News

‘Inspector’ RELBUS on the case – On the Buses

RELBUS, the East Lothian bus users’ campaign group, has had a busy year taking up passengers’ concerns according to its annual report. Set out in the report, which will be discussed at the group’s forthcoming AGM are the main areas of concern. These are service performance on the 124 and X24 routes to North Berwick, poor connections between buses and trains, lack of comprehensive timetable information at some bus stops and the continued absence of any public transport in some small communities.

Former councillor, Barry Turner, who chairs RELBUS said: ‘The East Lothin bus passengers’ charter instigated by RELBUS has raised expectations which are not always satisfied. We give a voice to disgruntled passengers and take up their grievances with the council and with operators. But we do more than that. We continually promote sustainable travel by bus through our links not only with the council but also with the Area Partnerships, the Community Rail Partnership, SEStran and various local groups. This year we have influenced the shape of the supported bus network and have offered the council guidance on how the many new housing developments proposed in East Lothian can best be served by buses. We are proud of the inputs that we have made.’

The AGM will be on November 24th at the Haddington Town House starting at 7pm. There will be a talk by local man and RELBUS member Harry Barker who has a long association with bus operations. All are welcome. Please email info@relbus.org to find out more.

East Lothian bus maps

East Lothian by bus

The East Lothian by Bus map downloadable from the council website shows how the county is linked up by public transport. There is no indication of relative frequency of services, but you can safely assume that connections to Edinburgh, and those in the west run more often that the others. RELBUS welcomes the inclusion of train stations on this map and continues to campaign for bus timetables to take train times into account.

East Lothian on the Move – RELBUS says get involved

RELBUS welcomes the East Lothian on the Move initiative set up by the council in association with the Area Partnerships. Consultants Peter Brett have been appointed to investigate ways in which the journeys made by local people could be greener and smarter. Currently, and as a first stage, there are a series of drop-in meetings taking place across the county. People can hear about a range of alternative means of travel and say what they think are the barriers to their use. Later there will be more detailed discussions in smaller groups about how things can be taken forward.

Barry Turner, chairman of RELBUS and a member of the steering group overseeing the initiative, said: ‘What’s happening will help highlight the concerns that RELBUS has been expressing for some time about transport difficulties faced by people in rural communities who don’t have access to private transport, who cannot drive or perhaps would prefer not to. Hopefully some good ideas will come forward to be taken on board by the council, the transport providers and community organisations. Though money will only be available for relatively modest projects, I hope the initiative, through raising awareness and expectations, will be a stepping stone to bigger and better things on the transport front. We certainly need some action given the likely transport impact of thousands of new homes.’

Meetings still to be held are at St Andrew’s High Church, Musselburgh, on 3rd September, John Gray Centre, Haddington, on 7th September and Port Seton Centre on 10th September, all between 3pm and 8pm. If you’ve missed a meeting or cannot attend you can find out more and complete an on-line survey by visiting http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/smartertravel or Email eastlothianonthemove@peterbrett.com.