City plans rescue package to save threatened bus routes

AROUND half of the city's under-threat bus services would win a temporary reprieve under a rescue package being considered by council chiefs.

The Evening News has learned city leaders are set to stump up around £150,000 in order to try to minimise the impact of Lothian Buses' planned cuts.

A full list of the services that the council wants to save will be published later this week, but it is understood those identified as having the biggest social need will win support.

This is thought to include the ERI to Gyle number 18 service, as well as the number 12 service, which links the Gyle and King's Road.

The council-owned Lothian Buses wants to axe or cut back 16 loss-making routes by October in the face of falling passenger numbers and big increases in costs.

The administration had previously ruled out proposals to pump £300,000 into subsidising the under-threat services, claiming it had no money to do this.

Opposition politicians today said the new plans do not go far enough.

But city leader Jenny Dawe said it was the best they could do, given the council's budget problems.

She said: "It's very likely that we will have to bail Lothian Buses out of its own hole, and we're looking at what is absolutely essential.

"Even if a bus service is infrequent, it's better than no service at all.

"We do understand that some of the services are the ones that cost an enormous amount of money to run, but they're the ones that the most vulnerable people will sorely miss.

"We could do nothing because our budget is very hard-pressed or scrabble together to find all the money – which would be extremely difficult, given that it would cost £300k for the services being cut.

"So we've asked for a list of the most essential services – such as where there are no other buses. That amounts to around half the original list.

"It will still leave us with a big budget problem, but we'll go back and see if there's a way of retaining these services, even if it involves reducing the service."

Council chiefs had asked Lothian Buses to look again to see if it could save money on staffing levels or the number of new buses it leases to prevent the cuts, but the firm said this was not possible.

Lothian Buses is facing a steep rise in employment costs of £2.7 million, due to the need for more drivers for the extra buses it needs for the tram diversions. The diesel bill has also risen by £1.95m.

Lothian Buses did not want to be drawn on the bid to save services until after a council meeting on the issue on September 16.

But Councillor Mark McInnes, the city's Tory transport spokesman, said: "I am astounded at this. At the last transport meeting, the committee convener and Marshall Poulton (the city's head of transport] told us there was categorically no money for this.

"I am disappointed they have not found the £300,000, because this would have taken us through the next full budget period."