Lothian Buses

Lothian Buses have won several awards for their services to the Lothian region including Bus Operator of the Year in the 2007 UK Bus Awards,[11][12] and has subsequently been voted Public Transport Operator of the Year (Bus) at the 2008 National Transport Awards. When the company was cited for its substantial route development, 32% growth in passenger numbers since 1998 and £100 million investment in low-floor buses since 2000.[13]

Lothian Buses was voted Best UK Bus Company in 2002 and 2003,[14] and vehicles previously carried the wording Voted Scotland's Best Bus Company 2006 in a laurel wreath type logo near the fleetname.

In November 2011, the company won the Top City Operator of the Year award at the UK Bus Awards.[15]

Lothian-branded services are the core of the Lothian Buses group. There are some core services in the Lothian network that have followed more or less the same route since they were operated by trams in the 1950s, like services 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 16.[23] However, the routes and timetables of most services are frequently modified in minor ways. For example, in recent years several confusing details such as letter suffixed routes and clockwise/anticlockwise circular services have been removed from the map. In the last ten years, there have been many temporary and permanent diversions in the New Town, including the closure at various times of Princes Street for tram works, George Street for pedestrianisation[24] and Leith Street for the reconstruction of the St James Centre.

The majority of current routes pass through the city centre from opposing termini, either crossing or following Princes Street in full or in part. This means that there are some arteries in and out of the New Town that are served by as many as a dozen different routes, such as Nicolson Street and Leith Walk. Some of these services, like services 3, 26 and 37, extend into outlying towns in East and Midlothian. There are also some more orbital routes, such as service 38.

Traditionally, Edinburgh Corporation, LRT and Lothian Buses had been generally painted in a madder (a dark red) and cream (or white) livery. When low floor disabled access vehicles were introduced in the late 1990s, they were given their own distinguishing "harlequin" livery, moquette covered seating and brightly coloured floors and walls. The last high step bus was removed from service by Lothian in the late 2000s, making the distinction irrelevant.

Lothian began to phase out the harlequin livery in May 2010, replacing it with a version of the traditional madder and white colour scheme. This had sweeping curved lines, having been updated to suit the body shapes of more modern buses. The last harlequin bus was repainted in 2016.[25] Branding was briefly written as "Lothianbuses.com", being replaced with the Transport for Edinburgh roundel and the words "Lothian Buses" to coincide with the launch of Edinburgh Trams. Gold was used instead of white on hybrid diesel-electric buses.

The livery again began to be updated in December 2016, with new, angular shapes was introduced on the service 22.[26] One reason for this is that Lothian's new batch of Wrightbus Gemini 3 double deckers had windows up the full length of the stairs, making the "sweeping" livery look awkward.

Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL in Route 100 Airlink livery

Lothian directly operates four services to Edinburgh Airport; Airlink 100, Skylink 200, Skylink 300 and Skylink 400. This is in addition to the service provided by Edinburgh Trams, which has one of its termini at the airport. All Lothian airport services use special airport fare zones, meaning a single ticket to the airport costs significantly more than the standard single ticket. However, a journey that does not include the airport zone is charged at the standard fare.

Airlink 100 runs to Waverley Bridge along Corstorphine Road. Since 30 July 2017, Airlink has accepted contactless card payments as well as cash and ridacard fares.

Skylink Services also accept Contactless, beginning with purchase of normal tickets but now works with the "Tap Tap Cap..." scheme.

Skylink 200 commenced on 23 April 2017, running from the airport to the north of Edinburgh, terminating at Ocean Terminal.[27][28] It was initially operated by single decker buses, but double deckers have been used since 1 October 2017.

Skylink 300 commenced on 1 October 2017, as an upgrade and renumbering of the old service 35, which ran from the airport to the Ocean Terminal via Slateford, Longstone and South Gyle.[29][30] The 35 had been a way of getting to the airport while only paying the standard Lothian fare, and usually used repainted ex-Airlink vehicles with extra luggage racks. The route was amended on 29 July 2018, shortening the route considerably and introducing a new terminal at Cameron Toll. At the same time, a modified 35 was reintroduced, but this service terminated at Heriot-Watt University rather than the airport.

Skylink 400 commenced on 29 July 2018 operating to Fort Kinnaird via Gracemount, Fairmilehead, Oxgangs and Colinton.[31][32][33] It replaced and upgraded the old service 18.

Airlink 100 was originally branded as "Airline", and has used many different liveries and logos, though all have been primarily blue. Airlink buses are always new when they start on the service, and are cascaded to other services after a few years. Over the years, the service has used the Leyland Olympian, Scania Omnicity, Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 and the Wright Eclipse Gemini 3.[34] Between June 2017 and August 2019 the Airlink service used a light blue and grey version of the standard angular livery. These vehicles have since moved onto Skylink, still with the light blue livery. other Skylink services use a medium blue and white version of the angular livery. From August 2019, Enviro 400 XLB's have been introduced on the Airlink Service, with a dark blue plain livery with a large gold Airlink logo on both sides.

In summer 2012, First Scotland East withdrew route 44B from Edinburgh to Pencaitland. This prompted Lothian Buses to expand into East Lothian much further than they had for years; far past the Tranent terminus of the service 26. Operations were initially branded as East Lothian Buses, and service 113 launched on 12 June 2012.[35][36] A second service was added in September 2014 (the 104 to Haddington).[37] The brand name was changed to Lothian Country Buses. One reason for launching as a separate brand was to make it easier to introduce a zonal fare system, rather than the flat fare of Lothian Buses.

First Scotland East announced in June 2016 that they would be withdrawing entirely from East Lothian by 14 August, believing the county to be unprofitable.[38] Lothian later announced the creation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, East Coast Buses, to again fill the gap left by First. The new company also took over the former First depots at North Berwick and Musselburgh, and took on many former First staff.[39][40] From 23 April 2017, the two Lothian Country Buses routes were integrated into East Coast Buses.[41]

East Lothian Buses services were initially operated by existing Lothian vehicles. The service was later operated by five Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLEs and two Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2s. The East Lothian Buses/Lothian Country Buses livery was a version of the standard Lothian design featuring sweeping curved lines in bright green and cream, similar to the livery of the former Scottish Motor Traction/Eastern Scottish buses.[42] East Coast Buses uses a version of the more recent, angular Lothian design, in green and grey (though the ECB green is slightly bluer than that formerly used by LCB).

In June 2017, a new subsidiary named Lothian Country commenced operating route 43 to South Queensferry after the previous operator Stagecoach East Scotland deemed the service not economically viable.[43][44][45] This new operation re-used the recently defunct Lothian Country Buses brand, for unrelated services travelling the opposite direction out of the city.

On 19 August 2018, three new routes to West Lothian commenced creating new links between Edinburgh and Bathgate, and Edinburgh Park station and Whitburn.[46][47] On 29 September 2018, services 280 and 287 were launched linking Livingston with Bathgate, Armadale and Blackridge, on 2 December 2018, Lothian Country introduced the X18 another express route from Edinburgh to Armadale via Broxburn and Bathgate and the Night service N28 replicating the X27 route as far as Deans South, on the 31 March 2019 service 281 was launched linking Loganlea and West Calder with Deans North, on 13 May 2019 service X17 was launched connecting Edinburgh City Centre with Fauldhouse, Loganlea and West Calder.

The Lothian Buses group have operated open top double deck tour bus services for many decades. They are today run under four distinct brands: City Sightseeing,[48] Edinburgh Tours,[49] Mac Tours[50] and The Majestic Tour.[51] The City Sightseeing tour is operated as a franchise of the City Sightseeing brand.[52] In 2013, all were brought under the control of one entity, Edinburgh Bus Tours,[53] although the separate trading names are retained.

City Sightseeing and Edinburgh Tours visit the Old Town, New Town, Calton Hill, Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle, albeit on slightly differing routes. The Majestic Tour operates a long loop from Holyrood and New Town, via the Royal Botanic Garden, to the coast at Ocean Terminal, the site of the former Royal Yacht Britannia.[52]

Until October 2016, Mac Tours operated between March and October only with AEC Routemaster buses in a dark red and cream livery, with See Edinburgh By Vintage Bus branding.[54][55] All other tours use Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LHs. For the City Sightseeing tours, the livery is red, for Edinburgh Tours the livery is yellow and green, and Majestic Tours use yellow and blue coloured vehicles.

Since 2007, Mac Tours has operated a bus for Forth Tours providing departues from Waverley Bridge for their various tours and cruises of the Firth of Forth.[56] The bus used is a dedicated Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident painted in a special yellow, blue and green Forth Tours livery.(XIL 1484).

For the First time in 2018, The 20 Days Of Summer bus tour was Introduced.

In June 2018, Lothian returned to the coach charter market after a 19-year absence through a new subsidiary named Lothian Motorcoaches that commenced with five Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B11Rs and three second-hand Van Hool bodied Volvo B12MTs.[57][58][59] A new depot is being built for Lothian Country and Lothian Motorcoaches in the Newbridge area. The design of the livery used by Lothian Motorcoaches was not related to the other brands of the group, being entirely dark grey with silver lettering, although the Airlink service is now operated with dark-blue Enviro400 XLBs, in a font similar to the Motorcoaches brand.

Lothian Buses also operates a nightbus network. Ridership increased when the routes were re-numbered and re-routed to match daytime routes and increased in frequency. The operation of night buses provides a continuous 24-hour bus service to some areas of the city.[60] This ticket allows for unlimited travel all night on any night bus.[61] From 5 November 2016, East Coast Buses introduced its own nightbus service under the NightHawk brand, to North Berwick and Dunbar.[62][63] There is no special fleet used for night buses, so liveries are the same as the relevant day services. In December 2018, Lothian Country introduced the Nightbus N28 to Livingston.

Twenty-eight Plaxton President Dennis Trident 2s were converted to open-top, all for use on tour and sightseeing operations. In August 2016, these were replaced by 31 Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TLs.[74][75]

All vehicles are fitted with internal and external CCTV cameras and cab radios, for passenger and driver safety,[76] bus lane enforcement and assisting the police,[77][78] although they have also been used in action against the company's own drivers.[79][80]

In 2017 Lothian Buses introduced six Wright StreetAir electric buses for route.[81][82] Another five will be added onto the route in 2018 which will make route 1 the first electric route in the city.

Historically Lothian has purchased new buses, however in 2018 it purchased 50 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TLs from Tower Transit.[83]

In November 2018 the introduction of 42 Alexander Dennis Enviro400 XLB bodied Volvo B8L 13.4m buses, was announced, beginning in early 2019. The tri-axle vehicles will have 100 seats, with front and middle doors.[84]

Many vehicles previously used by Lothian Buses and its predecessors have been preserved (or are awaiting preservation) by various groups and societies. Several of the vehicles regularly appear at events, rallies and running days around the country.[85]

After May 2010 the Harlequin livery used to identify low floor buses was phased out, as the company is now a full low floor operation,[86] with a return to the traditional madder and white livery although the style has been altered slightly to suit the lines of modern buses. Each type of bus owned directly by Lothian Buses had at least one of their type painted in the new livery.

In July 2011 Lothian Buses introduced 60 new double deck buses. These buses continued with the same madder red and white pattern on the outside of the bus but Lothian Buses changed the seats to a matching madder red colour.[86] They also changed the entrance to the bus to a more wooden effect. Routes 4, 5, 19, 23 and 27 were the first buses to receive this branding.

Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL on playing card branded route 44 on Princes Street

These brands were:

• Penicuik City Link (37, 47 and X47) between Edinburgh and Penicuik.
• Playing cards theme
  • Club Class - across the City and Midlothian (3/3A), later superseded by "3-Connect" branding.
  • East to West Through the Heart of the City (26) [87]
  • Ace of Spades – cutting across the city and Midlothian (31) [88]
• Service with a Sparkle (44) with black uppers and roofline and a yellow diamond symbol. This was superseded by a new branding, "The Mill Race" [89]
  • The Best Deal (29), later The Stock Brig
  • Leader of the Pack (49), later The Queen of Scots

• Connect branding[90]
  • 26 Connect: Clerwood, City Centre, Seton Sands / Tranent (This supersedes the earlier playing card theme.)
  • 22 Connect: Gyle + Edinburgh Park, City Centre, Ocean Terminal
  • 3 Connect (later replaced by The Lady Victoria branding)

Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL on route 26 Connect red livery with Zoom to the Zoo zebra advertising

• Zoom to the Zoo advertising (Route 26)[91][92]

Five variations exist, on two vehicles each:

• • Glide to the Antarctic – Penguins
  • Trek to China – Pandas
  • Hop to the Amazon – Frogs
  • Cha Cha to Chile – Flamingos
  • Swing into Africa – Chimpanzees

With the introduction of new fleets, all route branding has disappeared. Edinburgh Zoo branding still exists on a number of Wright Eclipse Gemini 3s, normally used on Route 26, but with no specific route branding. Current liveries include:

• We come and Go – Chameleon
• Sit back and relax – Panda
• Travel with pride – Lion
• Feeling Fabulous – Flamingo
• Red-dy To Go – Red Panda
• The Cat's Pyjamas – Tiger
• Crossing The City – Zebra
• Koality Assured – Koala
• Otterly Awesome – Otter
• Join Our Parade – Penguin

Lothian Buses have operated city tours using white liveried coaches. Later, Leyland Atlanteans were employed in this same livery, with blinds for City Tour. These wore an updated version of the white livery with blue detailing after a short period. An Edinburgh Classic Tour was set up in 1989 using open top Leyland Atlanteans, and later Leyland Olympians, which competed with Guide Friday.[93] This was as a result of Guide Friday introducing competition on the city centre to Airport route. The buses wore a blue and white livery, each carrying a name e.g.Scottish Star, Lothian Star and Highland Star. Lothian Buses also operated open top tours in Oxford (in conjunction with local operator Tappins) and Cambridge under the Classic Tour identity.

Lothian tour buses (L-R): City Sightseeing, Mac Tours, Majestic Tour and Edinburgh Tour on Waverley Bridge

Open top AEC Routemaster on a Mac's Tours service in August 2010

Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE in August 2013