In 2024, the New Town and Broughton Community Council (NTBCC) was alerted by a local Councillor that the City of Edinburgh Council was considering removing the number 13 bus service, which the Council subsidises, from part of its route through our area. Following his intervention, it was agreed to postpone any decision until there had been engagement with the local community.
The New Town and Broughton Community Council posted an article on its website seeking residents’ feedback on the bus service. There were over 20 responses, including feedback from others not living in the area but who were regular users of the service. The overwhelming majority supported the service continuing, providing examples of its importance to them. They also offered suggestions for how the service could be improved. This information was summarised Summary of Comments Received by NTBCC regarding Number 13 Bus Service and sent to Councillors before a meeting of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee to consider the future of the service. NTBCC had positive feedback from the Councillors, and the results of our survey were shared with Council staff involved in re-tendering the contract.
Although the service was continued, the contract was awarded to a new bus operator. Feedback from users remains positive. Disappointingly, there has been no follow up on the suggestions made for increasing the service’s usage. Clearly there is a role for Community Councils to ensure that they can provide feedback on the use of bus services in our communities.
How should Edinburgh Bus Users Group work with Community Councils to ensure residents’ views are heard when decisions about supported bus services are being made? Suggestions?