Our city bus operator Lothian has announced the passenger numbers for 2023 which have increased by more than 17% from the previous year.
In 2022 the number of passenger journeys on the buses was 94 million and last year the number had increased to 110 million.
The combined passenger numbers across Lothian, Lothian Country and East Coast Buses reflect a positive year for the Group. Other key numbers in 2023 include:
- 63 daytime services, 19 night bus routes and special event services413 drivers recruited and trained by Lothian’s dedicated training team100,000 contactless taps recorded in a single day in August369,688 downloads of Lothian’s journey planner app1,225,251 visits to Lothian’s journey planner webpage26.7 million miles operated throughout 2023
Lothian’s Managing Director, Sarah Boyd, welcomed the figures and said: “Lothian is at the heart of our city, delivering reliable, inclusive and accessible public transport for the hundreds of thousands of customers who choose to travel with us daily. We’ve been really pleased by the increased patronage over the course of the past year despite facing operational challenges across our network.
“A thriving public transport system is vital for everyone who travels around Edinburgh and the Lothians, and this strong commercial performance is a testament to our people on the frontline and behind the scenes, who day in, day out, strive to deliver an exceptional service for our customers.
“2024 is set to be a big year for Lothian as we look to grow our network to meet increasing customer demand, welcome new electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to our garages and continue to invest heavily in our people and the future of our business.”
Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These figures demonstrate the commitment all at Lothian Buses have shown to get Edinburgh moving and our economy back on track again after the pandemic. Key to this has been that everyone in Edinburgh, no matter what their background, feels safe and at home on a Lothian Bus. Not only does Lothian provide millions of reliable journeys to passengers every week, it also supports efficient, sustainable public transport, and our net zero 2030 goals, the impacts of which will benefit the city for generations to come.
“Lothian Buses are part of what defines Edinburgh, and I will do all I can to support their continued success and growth as we get Edinburgh’s transport system ready for the future.”
Lothian Buses is wholly owned by The City of Edinburgh Council.
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