The Anonymous Widower

Edinburgh’s Buses

Since my stroke, I tend to use buses a lot more.  My mobility means that I have no trouble boarding or even getting upstairs on a double-decker for the view.  At least now these days, you get a comfortable seat in places like London, Cambridge and Edinburgh. And I suspect most places in the UK! So in most towns and cities across the UK, a bus is a sensible part of the transport network.

But good bus systems only work with easy ticketing, sensible fare policies and good signage. London is the benchmark, by which every otherb system shoiuld be judged in my mind, as being a Londoner, I’ve used them since I was a child. C and I also used to use Routemasters in the early seventies with three children under three, so my views on buses are not blinkered.

So how does Edinburgh stack up?

I was surprised that my over-60s bus-pass is not valid in Scotland.  But then Scottish ones are not valid in England.  I know there would be political problems, if they were interchangeable, but surely there could be a better system.

• Perhaps, there could be an extra  charge for a free bus-pass, which might allow things like Scottish buses anywhere, London trains and tubes, and Manchester Trams. I think a lot of people would pay for a Senior Superpass, just as many buy a Senior Railcard.
• Or should there be a method of purchasing an Edinburgh bus pass for say your time in Edinburgh, when you buy your rail ticket.  If that was the case, you’d get one of the old British Rail-style orange tickets, that work so well.  After all, some tickets on Cambridge-Ipswich trains have an extension to buses at the destination.

And then there is the ticket you get in Edinburgh for a days travel.  You don’t hand money to the driver, as you do in say London, but put it in a slot.  Obviously, there is no change and a flimsy paper ticket is delivered from behind the driver.  I know Scotland, likes to think of itself as a foreign country, but this system isn’t very tourist friendly. The ticket was good value at £3.00, but because it is just a scrap of paper, it could be easily lost.  Surely, a credit card sized card would be better for a day ticket, as this can carry paid-for adverts. You could also sell weekly tickets for more money. 

I think it is true to say, that rarely do you find flimsy paper tickets in mainland Europe, so why is the UK so keen on this type? Cost probably, but then London buses cope with Oystercards and rail travelcards with no problem at all.

Where Edinburgh buses are poor though is in the lack of signage on bus stops.

London sets the gold standard in this, but then as a Londoner, I would say that wouldn’t I!  But if London’s policy of a local map in tube stations and on bus stops, coupled with a local bus map/index, wasn’t so good, why would it be virtually copied by several cities across the world including its big rival Paris.

Edinburgh gives no information at all on bus stops, except for little numbers saying what buses you can catch from the stop. So if you’re not sure which bus you need or where you are going, you’re lost!

I had thought there was no information of trhis kind until I found this at Waverley station, next to the train information booth.

Edinburgh Bus Stop Map

There are also other problems with Edinburgh’s buses.  Apparently, the routes and stops are always moving, so even locals can’t find their bus.  They also have computerised displays telling ewhen the bus is supposed to arrive.  These are different to everyone other one I’ve seen and are unreadable for someone with limited vision and aretoo high up for short people.  Red displays under the bus shelter like London, Cambridge, Colchester etc. are so much better.  The one we stood at said a bus was due and then it never came.

August 15, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Buses, Edinburgh