RELBUS

Today we issued a statement welcoming the new supported bus contracts which brought a number of new and revised bus routes to the county on Monday May 4th.

RELBUS chairman, Barry Turner, said: “In the spirit of East Lothian’s Bus Passengers’ Charter the council consulted widely before finalising its plans for the new supported network and RELBUS was pleased to make a major input. This involvement of users is very much in line with our own priorities for improving local bus services and getting the services that people require. Some tweaking will be needed to make sure that bus and rail timetables better relate but overall we are pleased with the outcome. We are also pleased that the council has now produced a bus network diagram to show all bus routes serving East Lothian.”

RELBUS remains concerned that the sizeable rural settlements of Humbie, Garvald and Oldhamstocks are still unserved, but we have been informed that the council has a plan to plug these gaps in provision in a novel way once legal and other issues have been resolved. This will help tackle the social exclusion which derives from a lack of public transport.”

The next meeting of East Lothian Council’s Bus Forum bringing together council officials, councillors, bus operators, community councils and bus users will be on Wednesday 13th May. Please contact info@relbus.org.uk with any general issues you would like us to raise.

Ahead of the UK general election, Bus Users UK has published a 10-point manifesto calling on the incoming government to make improving bus services a priority. They include the points below, which RELBUS can identify with.

1. Enhanced bus priority measures in town and city centres to improve reliability and journey times, encouraging people out of their cars and onto the bus
2. Accessible stopping points with better facilities and enhanced passenger information, positioned closer to shopping and business centres to boost local economies
3. Fully funded concessions made available to unemployed people and those on low incomes to open up better life chances
4. Widespread on-board facilities such as audio visual information, phone charging and Wi-Fi
5. Better timetable coordination with schools, colleges and employment
6. Improved integration across all transport modes
7. Mandatory driver training to improve awareness of issues relating to mobility, disability and mental health and improve communication skills
8. Measures to improve the passenger experience, encouraging a consistent and reliable service offer to help encourage more sustainable travel choices
9. More late and weekend services to reflect changing working patterns, particularly among low paid and entry level jobs
10. A simplified fares system across all modes to support passengers and remove barriers to travel.

In the autumn of 2014, East Lothian Council undertook a survey to establish what people wanted and needed from the supported bus services. Councillors, Community Councils, community groups, and local bus operators took part and members of the public had the opportunity to comment at face-to-face sessions held at the 6 main towns in East Lothian. A summary of the points raised and ELC’s responses can be found here.

RELBUS had hoped to be able to discuss this at its last committee meeting in advance of the new services starting, but due to personal circumstances none of the council officers were able to attend. RELBUS is convening an additional meeting on Tuesday 28th of April to discuss the findings of the consultation. Email info@relbus.org.uk if you’d like to take part.