Bus fares set to increase on local routes

Bus fares on routes around West Lothian are set to increase.

Lothian announced that fares will be revised on its Lothian Country service in West Lothian from Sunday, April 2.

The company runs serices through Livingston, Bathgate, Whitburn, Broxburn, Uphall and Armadale into Edinburgh.

An adult day ticket will now cost £5 - 50p more than before and adult single fares will increase by 20p.

Lothian’s season ticket, Ridacard, will also see an increase, along with airport fares and child tickets.

It comes just months after members of Fauldhouse Community Council voiced their frustration with Lothian Buses after the firm cancelled the 281 Lothian Country service in the village last year.

Sarah Boyd, managing director at Lothian, said rising operational costs was the reason for the hike but insisted the service still offers “value for money”.

She comntinued: “With operating costs continuing to rise, we will be making changes to our fares from April 2 in order to prioritise investment in our fleet, our people and our customer offering.

“While no fare increase is welcome and we are aware of the cost pressures being faced by our customers, we strongly believe our fares continue to represent excellent value for money.

“In the three years since we last undertook a fares review, our business has encountered a number of challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, industry-wide recruitment shortages and continually rising costs.

“With patronage still not at pre-pandemic levels and all fares revenue going directly back into the running of our business, it is therefore vital that as a commercial bus operator we make decisions now that will futureproof the viability of our network for our customers and our colleagues.

“As we look to the future, our priorities and focus will remain on rebuilding Lothian and taking positive steps towards achieving our vision for decarbonisation and achieving the net zero aspirations set by the Scottish Government and Local Authority shareholders.”

With the popularity of capped contactless payments increasing, customers on Lothian services using the same contactless card or device all day will continue to benefit from the cheapest daily adult fare, saving 20p on the revised DAYticket price.

For more information visit www.lothianbuses.co.uk