Edinburgh bus stop closure plan on hold

Buses

Plans to speed up a cross-city bus route in Edinburgh by closing 26 stops have been put on ice.

Councillors were supposed to consider the pilot scheme on the 44 route between Balerno and Wallyford at the beginning of this month but the item was withdrawn from the agenda of the transport and environment committee at the last moment. 

The paper had been expected to be presented to the meeting at the end of this month but this will not happen. 

Conservative transport spokesman Nick Cook said the SNP/Labour administration’s handling of the proposals was “nothing short of shambolic”.

A council spokesman told the  Edinburgh Evening News: “Following extensive consultation with those concerned we’re going to take a little more time to explore the next steps for the proposed trial, before bringing a report to the committee for discussion and decision on whether to go ahead with this evidence-gathering pilot project. ”

The paper said the council’s Labour Group was unhappy with the proposal. “We were particularly concerned about the potential impact on vulnerable people who rely on bus services and the lack of consultation,” said Labour councillor Scott Arthur. “We would prefer a more bottom-up and holistic approach where community groups are at the very heart of how the service is improved.”

Balerno Community Council has objected to the two closures in the village. It says one stop is close to a sheltered housing scheme. The other stop proposed for closure is the last stop before the terminus on a one-way village loop. The community council says it has few boarders but is popular with people alighting.