Dear EBUG member,
This is the sixth of our occasional updates for members.
- We held our AGM on June 17, and achieved our objective of updating the constitution. We also elected and welcomed Gail onto the Committee. There are still a few Committee places left, so anyone interested please put your name forward! (email secretary@edinburghbususers.
group).
At the first Committee meeting after the AGM, we reelected our office-bearers: Harald Tobermann (Chair), Chris Day (secretary), and Bob Moseley (Treasurer)
- Which brings us onto our main news. EBUG’s website is finally LIVE! edinburghbususers.group – do have a look, and spread the word.
- Since our last newsletter (March 2021) we’ve completed a pilot bus stop audit between the Mound and Lauriston Place; it’s now published on our website. At the time of writing, we’re completing a second audit, after which we plan to make the template available to anyone who wants to do their own audit.
The audit generated a lot of interest on social media, and a polite ‘thank you this is interesting, but we’re not currently in a position to act on it’ from the Council.
Incidentally, the long-promised consultation on temporary floating bus stops more or less ground to a halt, as the Council decided to stop building them under the Spaces for People banner. Their long-term future remains unclear.
Spaces for People itself has been renamed ‘Travelling Safely’, with a number of individual installations withdrawn. Frankly it’s difficult to keep track of what’s still in place, till when, and where, so it looks like this will be a long-running saga. - Council plans to reorganise the relationship between the Council, Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams continue to progress, but very slowly. As we understand it, essentially Lothian Buses will become an overarching company including Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and Transport for Edinburgh. Clearly there’s a lot of work to be done to put it into practice. EBUG Committee’s view is that it’s OK so, far, but the detail of the next stage will be increasingly important.
- Hopefully you’ll know that concessionary (free) bus travel is being extended to people aged under 22, from the end of January 2022. Follow Scottish Government websites for more news.
- With Council elections coming up in May 2022, the Committee is thinking of organising hustings and a review of party manifestos before then. EBUG continues to be a clearly non-party political organisation, but obviously we want to hear the thoughts of future Council decision-makers on bus services in Edinburgh. So once we’ve got a definite time and place (hopefully a proper meeting!) we’ll let you know.
Your EBUG Committee