Residents being 'cut off' as East Lothian bus routes axed

Residents in East Lothian communities are feeling “cut off” by the upcoming changes to the X6 and 113 East Coast Bus services.

East Coast Buses is planning to axe off-peak X6 services between the Western General Hospital and Haddington. It is also terminating the 113 service at Haymarket in Edinburgh instead of taking passengers all the way to the Western General Hospital.

The current services will not be subsidised by the City of Edinburgh or East Lothian Council, and the changes will take effect from Sunday April 6.

It has left residents like Rebekah Hood in MacMerry “feeling like they are being cut off”.

“It has been causing me a lot of stress, no one has been consulted on the matter, and I just found out about [the changes] via an announcement on Facebook”, she told STV News.

Ms Hood has lived in MacMerry for seven years and relied on the X6 bus to get into Edinburgh for work early every morning. However, she said the changes to the X6 will “significantly” impact her daily commute.

The new peak-time only buses mean she won’t be able to get out of MacMerry until 6.35am – forcing her to either walk 40 minutes to Tranent or rely on her partner to take her part of the way.

“The changes have resulted in me having to look for other jobs and currently in the process of looking at moving out of the area,” Ms Hood said.

“I understand the need for changes to timetables, but currently, there are 35 X6 buses via Macmerry to town. This is being reduced to three journeys daily, which seems like such a drastic cut that leaves us without a direct route into the city of Edinburgh.”

Conservative MSP Craig Hoy (South Scotland) said the changes are “frankly a disgrace” and will also impact people who need to access the Western General Hospital.

Hoy said that’s a “key problem” – especially for elderly people.

“I had a constituent who was visiting her husband in the Western General being treated for cancer and then end-of-life care,” Hoy said.

“She was going daily to the hospital, and to expect somebody in their early 80s to have to change bus journeys – I think it is concerning.”

Sometimes, local authorities step in to fund bus routes and services that aren’t particularly profitable for communities that are otherwise cut off from public transport.

However, neither East Lothian nor the City of Edinburgh Council will be putting up the funds to retain the current X6 and 113 routes and timetables.

Both councils have said their bus subsidy budgets must only be used as “lifelines” for communities without any connectivity.

Residents in MacMerry and other communities along the bus routes won’t be able to travel door-to-door anymore, but they can change buses to reach their destinations.

“The connections provided through subsidy are essentially lifeline services to provide communities with a public transport connection to health, education, employment and retail facilities, either directly or to interchange locations,” Edinburgh transport and environment convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council added that bus subsidies are generally reserved for rural areas where commercial services are not viable to operate.

“As a county with a large rural population, some of whom live in transport poverty, our supported services largely focus on meeting public transport needs in these areas and on routes that cannot be provided on a commercial basis,” the spokesperson said.

Nonetheless, an online petition to have all direct day services between East Lothian and the Western General Hospital has gained almost 500 signatures online since early March.

The petition claims that direct, all-day services are a “necessity” and “not a luxury” for the who people who rely on them.

“For many, these bus services are a significant means of transportation – for healthcare workers to reach their workplace, for patients to get the care they need, and for visitors to support their loved ones,” the petition said.

However, it doesn’t seem likely that East Coast Buses will reinstate either the X6 or 113 routes or timetables.

“As a wholly commercial operator, our decision to implement changes to our services is driven by analysis of data and travel patterns, as well as creating the necessary capacity for growth across East Lothian,” a spokesperson for East Coast Buses said.

“We appreciate the concerns raised amongst some communities and we will continue to monitor the network once these changes are implemented.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said it’s “disappointing” when commercial operators withdraw or reduce services, but said it’s a matter for individual bus operators.

“The operation and withdrawal of services on commercial routes is a matter for private operators, but any changes must be consistent with the processes enforced by the Traffic Commissioner,” the spokesperson said.

“Local authorities have a duty to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services and can subsidise these at their discretion.”

Transport Scotland said they “very much recognise the importance of local bus services to all communities”.

They said that commitment continues with £468m allocated for concessionary travel and bus services for the current financial year.