Lothian Buses
Fringe Tip of the Day
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Leith Walk By-Election
Works beginning on Dreghorn flyover
The 2014 accounts just issued by Transport for Edinburgh which runs both buses and trams show that the dividend to be paid to the City of Edinburgh Council will be £5.5m.
More passengers travelled on bus services than ever before and the company’s income rose by £3m as a result.
On the trams three million passengers used the new service resulting in revenue of £6.4m which the company says is 3% more than expected. Over the first year there were 4.92 million passengers on board which is 370,000 more than anticipated before the service began operating. All of the positive numbers will result in the city council paying less subsidy to the Trams for 2014. It was expected that the subsidy would be £0.6m but it has been reduced to £0.45m.
Lothian Buses also operate Edinburgh Bus Tours who have carried about half a million passengers over the period.
The negatives lie in the detail behind the figures in the comment from Jim McFarlane who refers obliquely to the boardroom battles which have raged during the last twelve months. CEO Ian Craig has remained in post though other board members have come and gone. Mr McFarlane Chair and General Manager of Lothian Buses, said: “2014 was a challenging yet successful year and we’re pleased to report very high levels of performance. For our people this should be a justifiable source of pride. As a company we are going through a period of change and we have committed to growth and further success. Our priority is to keep our focus firmly on the needs of our passengers so that we can continue providing excellent public transport for everyone who wants to get around Edinburgh and the Lothians.”
In February this year the council agreed to appoint an independent consultant to investigate what had actually happened at board level. This report was forthcoming by May but did not find any wrongdoing on the part of the council (CEC) in the whole boardroom saga.
To quote the summary in the report: “With the exception of the matters set out above, we have seen no evidence of any active involvement of CEC in the day to day running of Lothian Buses or in its management or governance processes. We have been advised by interviewees that CEC had an observer on the Board and limited contact with Lothian Buses in advance of the management difficulties which surfaced.
“It could be argued that, under the terms of the Shareholder Agreement, CEC should have had no involvement whatsoever in the Grievance process which Lothian Buses followed, other than responding to a formal request for consent from the Former Chairperson. However we consider that this was unrealistic in the circumstances, given the seriousness of the issue.”
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Our Fringe tip today is to go to North Berwick – trains leave from Waverley and head for Fringe by the Sea. Today is the last day you can
The Dark Jokes: A band that are now an ambitious unit, making an honest collision of modern psychedelia, indie and…
Posted by Fringe by the Sea on Sunday, 9 August 2015
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Time to think of the long winter nights when you might sign up for an evening class or two! Here is the full list.
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If you live in the Leith Walk Ward then you only have another week or so to register to vote in the by-election next month.
By Tuesday 25 August you must register to vote or apply for a postal vote.
Contact the Electoral Registration Office or phone 0131 344 2500.
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A package of structural refurbishment works to the A720 90 Dreghorn Spur Overbridge will take place from tomorrow for up to six weeks.
The works will entail re-waterproofing and resurfacing of the structure and the installation of new expansion joints. The works are considered essential in order to maintain road user safety and for the continued efficient operation of the structure.
It is necessary to close the bridge for the duration of these works, which should be completed within six weeks, weather permitting.
A clearly signed diversion will be in operation throughout the works. Traffic will be diverted to and from the Dreghorn Spur Overbridge to the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass (Lothianburn Junction), via the B701.
There will be no access for traffic wishing to cross the structure, or use the A720 westbound off-slip and on-slip, although both the eastbound off-slip and on-slip will remain fully operational during the works.
These works have been planned in consultation with Police Scotland and Edinburgh City Council.
Around 10,000 vehicles use this section of the trunk road network each day, and this investment, with a value of approximately £270,000 will ensure motorists experience greater journey time reliability, continued safety and comfort.
Real-time journey information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org
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