New opportunities for East Lothian as First Bus withdraw all services from 14th August

As reported in the East Lothian Courier, First Group is withdrawing all services from East Lothian this summer. Many people in the bus industry have been expecting this decision for some time, and it may prove positive in the long term for East Lothian as more local bus companies step in to fill the gaps in services with ones more suited to local needs.

This decision by First group comes as no surprise. We expected that when the Company was released from certain undertakings by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) it would want to seriously consider its position in East Lothian. RELBUS has been concerned for some time about First’s performance and reliability locally having received numerous representations from local users. East Lothian has unfortunately been the poor relation in First’s operations with many elderly buses that are not conducive to attracting or retaining passengers. Representations to the company have had little impact although a few newer buses have come into use recently which may have improved performance somewhat. There will be a RELBUS meeting shortly to discuss the implications of First’s announcement and we will work closely with East Lothian Council, with Bus Users Scotland and with other operators with a view to ensuring that First’s services are replaced with something which meets travel needs across East Lothian in an efficient, reliable and attractive manner.