The decline in bus routes in Scotland

This piece was initially written for another transport campaign. We are publishing it in full here, with a few minor changes to update it for 2025.

It is axiomatic that bus use, and bus services, are continually declining. There are many ways in which this is illustrated, often reflecting the viewpoint that is being argued.

Here, we look at short to long term trends, possible explanations and remedies. As far as it’s possible, we examine trends over the last 50 years, and shorter periods within that half century.

We generally draw a line in 2019, as data since then is heavily affected by the Covid pandemic. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that a ‘post-Covid’ pattern of bus travel is emerging, with, very broadly, bus use in much of Scotland back to around 85% of pre-Covid levels. The patterns of travel are different, and evolving. But the headline figures pre- and post-Covid show a family resemblance.

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No. 18 – Edinburgh Bus Users Group: Members’ Bulletin December 2024

Welcome to the latest EBUG Bulletin.

A further consultation on CEC’s ‘Active Travel’ project Leith Connections (Hawthornvale to Seafield) closed in November, with the objectives of ‘delivering a more liveable neighbourhood, active travel and public realm improvements, and bringing Lindsay Road Bridge back into use for walking, wheeling and cycling’.

However, it looks like an exemplar of issues raised by many such projects which, while branded as ‘Active Travel’, are actually cycling-led with little or no attention to walking. EBUG’s robust response criticised the removal of bus priority measures, the removal or relocation of bus stops, and the deployment of floating bus stops as a default measure.

After submitting a Freedom of Information request, we obtained an update on the total length of bus lanes in Edinburgh. The Council now estimates them at 66.7km. This is broadly the same as in the mid 2010s, after a 4km drop in recent years. However, the Council is not sure of the exact length, having not carried out an audit in recent years.

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