The link to join EBUG via MailChimp is https://mailchi.mp/34c75658d45a/ebug.
(We’ve corrected an erroneous link in this post about EBUG’s forthcoming AGM. Apologies for any confusion that error caused!)
EBUG 2022 AGM
Jess Pepper of @lovemybus_is guest speaker at our AGM. 6pm, Thursday 30 June in the Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace. Capacity at the Meeting House is 60, so priority goes to:
- EBUG members (sign up at https://mailchi.mp/34c75658d45a/ebug )
- those who email us
Meeting papers are online at https://edinburghbususers.group/ebug-trial/constitution-and-agm-papers
Bus Stop Audit Report: Dalry Road, from Haymarket to Ardmillan Terrace
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Introduction
In the context of ongoing concerns about the variable quality of design, location and/or maintenance of bus stops across Edinburgh, Edinburgh Bus Users Group (EBUG) undertook a pilot ‘audit’ of a busy city corridor.
The audit was undertaken by four EBUG Committee members on the morning of Friday 22 October, between Haymarket and Ardmillan Terrace, including also Henderson Terrace, comprising 11 stops (6 ‘outbound’ and 5 ‘city-bound’). 8 criteria were assessed for each stop, encompassing location, pavement widths (in relation to the Edinburgh Street Design Guidance, see Appendix 1), shelter condition, signage and line marking etc.
An additional aim of the exercise was to take the opportunity to re-evaluate EBUG’s audit template itself, and amend or add any further criteria that seemed relevant and that would be useful for future audits.
We have not incorporated within this report our generic findings on the design of the JC Decaux bus shelters, which we view as being driven by advertising and financial considerations rather than by bus user comfort and convenience. Continue reading “Bus Stop Audit Report: Dalry Road, from Haymarket to Ardmillan Terrace”
Council election manifestos 2022; what’s in them for buses?
Here’s our commentary on the local Party manifestos we’ve seen for the Council elections on May 5. It’s about the local Edinburgh Party manifestos, NOT any national documents which come down from Party HQs.
As well as reading the local Party manifestos, it’s useful to (re)read their answers to our ‘Election Event’ questionnaire (https://edinburghbususers.group/ebug-council-election-event). The SNP and Conservatives either
- didn’t get their act together or
- couldn’t be bothered answering the questionnaire
so that’s an immediate black mark. Or possibly they took one look at the questions and ran a mile. Anyway, this commentary focusses on the actual manifestos. We:
- read each manifesto as it stands
- compared them with each other
- considered whether they matched EBUG’s ‘manifesto’ https://edinburghbususers.group/council-elections-vote-for-good-quality-public-transport-for-everyone
- considered whether words matched deeds in the current Council 2017-2022
Continue reading “Council election manifestos 2022; what’s in them for buses?”
EBUG Council election ‘event’: update
Following on from this post, EBUG has now received answers to its questions from Labour. These have been added to the answers from the Greens and the Liberal Democrats received in February.
See all three sets of answers at: https://edinburghbususers.group/ebug-council-election-event
Missed opportunity to improve city buses
As we all know, money is tight among Councils. In Edinburgh and elsewhere, aspirations to improve bus services compete for funding with other worthwhile services. Bus routes, of course, operate on a commercial basis. But the infrastructure they use, the roads, the bus stops, almost everything that doesn’t move, is the Council’s responsibility; as is providing socially necessary services which can’t break even.
So how can the Council maximise funding for improvements?
One source is ‘Section 75’ funding. Section 75 payments are funds secured from developers to pay for facilities needed because of the development; such as improved transport, school buildings etc. So if a developer builds new houses, or offices, the Council can secure payments to cover the cost of public transport improvements needed to serve the development.
We wondered how the City of Edinburgh Council uses this mechanism. So we lodged a Freedom of Information request with the Council, asking how much Section 75 money it had secured to improve bus services.
The FOI request revealed that, between 2015 and 2022, CEC secured a total of £84,230,232 in Section 75 payments.
EBUG joins other transport groups with concerns over public realm design for Elm Row
Along with local community councils, Living Streets and other transport groups, EBUG has campaigned for a more thoughtful and safer public realm design at Elm Row. This is how it was covered by online news serviced EdinburghLive.
No.7 – Members’ Bulletin February 2022
Dear EBUG member,
This is the seventh of our occasional updates for members.
Council Elections
Our main news, and the reason for circulating this bulletin now, is that we’ve completed our first ‘Council election event’. In the last Bulletin we reported that with Council elections due in May, the Committee was thinking of running hustings/a review of party manifestos. Covid-Omicron put a stop to that, so instead we:
- Published an ‘EBUG manifesto’ on our website
- Invited written questions from EBUG members, and by social media
- Submitted the questions to the 5 political parties currently on Edinburgh Council
- We’re now ABOUT TO publish the parties’ responses on our website, so keep an eye on edinburghbususers.group
EBUG Council election ‘event’
Ahead of the Council election in May, instead of a ‘live hustings’, EBUG sent our members’ questions to the political parties currently on the City of Edinburgh Council. We sent the questions to the parties’ Transport Spokespersons on 1 February, requesting replies by 18 February.
The questions are anonymised, the replies are unedited. Here’s what we received:
- Greens (received February 2022)
- Labour (received March 2022)
- Liberal Democrats (received February 2022)
Council Elections – Vote for Good Quality Public Transport for everyone!
Here are EBUG’s key ‘asks’ of all parties and candidates standing in the City of Edinburgh Council elections in May 2022.
Edinburgh Bus User Group (EBUG)
Manifesto for the 2022 Council Elections
Quality Public Transport for Everyone
EBUG believes in a working partnership between the Council and bus operators which recognises that each should focus on what it can do, and what it does best.
The next Council must Increase the budget and capacity of the Council bus team and focus more pro-actively on delivering tangible improvements for bus users. Continue reading “Council Elections – Vote for Good Quality Public Transport for everyone!”