Lothian Buses Reviews 

I go on bus many times a day and it is my main transport and for some reason the buses just leave, I am calling it correctly and I know there is space but I have been late to many of my classes and meetings because the bus driver is too lazy too stop

27/9/23. Finished work at 2200, service 4 was due at 2223. No delays on tracker. And for the umpteenth time the bus just falls off the map. Shocking service, I won't connect to my bus now and neither will the young lady who is also waiting. It always seems to be the 4 that has the most disappearing buses. Absolute joke of a service that I pay £66 per month for. Get a car, do not use the service if you can avoid it, it's now 15 minutes since my bus was due and the tracker is useless.

Awful experience, truly appalled at how rude and unkind the bus driver on the number 11 route passing Morningside primary at 6.50pm today was. With a young mum and her baby, at dusk. The driver told us to get off - no offer of alternative transport - because a wheelchair user needed to get on. Both fitted into the space, however the driver proceeded to shout at us until a member of the public stood up and told him it was completely ridiculous to expect us to find another transport mode in the dark with an 18 month old baby and her pram. Truly shocked and disappointed. Not a family friendly or an accessible service. (Have photos of bus’s number plates if they are interested).

As someone used to (typically) efficient public transit from continental Europe, Edinburgh buses are just ridiculous. The combination of having stops every 100m, the one way system to get on, and the buses waiting in line for a stop, snowballs and makes any journey outside the quiet times and quiet locations incredibly frustrating.

I appreciate that Edinburgh is a really difficult city to service with the narrow streets, the traffic etc., but it just seems that you're doing everything you can to be as inefficient as possible.

Comparing any bus journey to the tram is night and day, with the tram journeys being smooth and efficient.

It's also strange to have buses without air-conditioning. Sitting on the top deck in the summer is a real sauna experience.

Another strange one are the airport buses. The routes their cover are great, but it seems a bit illogical that they would stop at every single stop. Couple days ago I took the 200 and the snail pace journey, with stopping every ten seconds, is not something you want when in a rush. The system you operate is silly on any day, but trying to make it to the airport while the bus stops all the time while a procession of screaming teenagers pour in one by one at every street corner, is next level frustrating.

I lost my phone on bus 26 going to portobello beach. So thankful to the one who found it and gave it to Ryan the one driving the bus at that time. Would like to express my gratitude to the lost property staff for assisting me with finding my phone at the office 2 days later. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Using contact less, they will hit you for £2 per day making out youve been on at least one bus a day. Considering i only took one bus three days ago its unusual that they would continue to take money. Perhaps the organisation has had enough of ripping off tourists and now need to rob you blind to keep their pathetic service running. Truly society's scummiest folk. Next bus driver due for a surprise

Worse bus service I have ever come across you might want to train your staff on customer service

terrible customer service

i’ve lost my purses i’ve been tried to contacts them for ages and no reply i have my id in the purse which is why i need to know if it been handed in shocking behaviour

Got x18 from Bathgate – the first time in a long time – to get to a medical appointment in Edinburgh. Factored in 30min of tardiness just in case as I remember what the service is like.
What I didn't expect was the bus would show up already over 30min late. Afterwards, it seemed that the driver did everything to delay our arrival further; driving slowly, pulling into stops and remaining there for no apparent reason, chatting with other drivers and people waiting at stops, parking up behind another bus for it to load (we had no passengers for/from this stop).
I had to cancel appointment mid journey and incur a cancellation fee due to how badly this Lothian service performed. It is still in no way reliable. 0 stars is warranted.

I just tried to catch a number 8 bus heading North at the South Bridge stop at 9:30pm. I sprinted to catch the bus. I made it to the bus door just as the driver was closing it. I knocked so that he'd know I needed to get on. He looked me square in the face and pulled out. His behavior was disgusting, and I'd like to believe you train your driver's better than that. There is no reason why any bus company should tolerate a driver who gets his little power trips by not doing his job. An absolute sad sack of a balding human being who needs to find a job better suited to his disposition.

Just got on a 43 Queensferry to Edinburgh bus at Craigleith. I ran to get the bus but my wife was stuck at a pedestrian crossing.. The bus driver, Harvey, was very polite and waited patiently for my wife.

Lothian buses have some really horrible racist drivers. They have left me crying as they yelled and me and my two year old multiple times for doing exactly what all the other white people are doing

Generally very rude drivers. The tap on card payment only works sometimes. If failed and in a rush they won't let you in. Unless you pay cash. The amount of times I've paid extra cos I didn't gave the right change. Is just unbelievable with all the extra money they make yearly. Just because is a no change policy 😡

Joke of a service. Every bus you get on there’s some scumbag vaping and the bus service does NOTHING ABOUT IT. On top of that the service is expensive, the “real time” app is useless. One entrance/exit on buses? Talk about about inefficient. Have to wait till everyone gets off before anyone can get on

I love Lothian Buses, they are accessible (wheelchair user), the drivers are mostly very friendly and helpful, my buses generally turn up on time, couldn't ask for better. The buses are always clean first thing (can't legislate for manky people who drop their litter etc everywhere throughout the journey). I've not used their customer services, I've never had to, so can't comment on that. I think they're doing a great job.

As a social care worker who works on rota basis and in the community I rely on the buses to get me from a to b I have found that lrt buses have not moved with the times . We need a regular bus service not only from Monday to Friday but in the evenings and the weekends but have found this is not the case last night I waited on a bus for nearly a half hour when a number 16 bus was supposed to arrive at 20.01pm at pier place Newhaven which did not arrive and the number 200 bus was due at 20.10pm which never arrived at pier place Newhaven Edinburgh either. And the government want us to ditch our cars to either walk or use public transport for the environment well clearly that's not going to happen unless lrt provide the public with a much better transport service not only for Monday to Friday but in the evenings and at the weekends. Lrt 's bus service is shocking at the moment the buses are either late or not in service or lrt buses just don't turn up on the times that are provide by lrt bus at there stops and online . Shocking service .lrt need to move with the times we need better and more frequent service Monday to Sunday morning and evenings. Lrt are not the only ones working weekends and evenings. The lrt bus just got even worse today I was waiting on a bus on ferry road Edinburgh across from Morrisons the 21 bus was due according LRT time tables at 9.36 I'm still standing at the bus stop at 9.45am the 27 was due at 946am and again that bus never turned which left me late for getting to a patient the lrt bus service is absolutely diabolical in Edinburgh. I have a driving licence however I had an old car so decided to get it scrapped as the low emission zone is coming in next year so I thought I'd give the buses a go and try to be environmentally responsible well I've had enough of the dreadful lrt bus service in the evenings and the weekends I'm going to purchase another car. LRT buses service dreadful they haven't moved with the times there is more and more of the public working in the evenings and weekends let need get there act together and provide the public with a much better transport service at the weekends and in the evenings.

Bus 24 , 8:20 am , citibank debit card tapped, card reader display light shown red , The transaction was claimed unsuccessful , then i paid by Llyod card successfully. But checked it still charged my citibank card.

Bus 24 , 3:40 pm , citibank debit card again tapped, and retapped again, card reader display light shown red 2 times . The transaction were claimed unsuccessful , then i paid by Llyod card at lastsuccessfully. But checked it still charged my citibank card 2 times

I have lived in Edinburgh all my life and have never experienced such rude bus drivers, as I have since the lockdown/brexit.
Who are they employing? They won’t even make eye contact, let alone speak.
At approx 2pm today I was running for the 37 heading into town outside sofology at Straiton. I was with my 5 year old granddaughter who was feeling unwell. There was nothing else on the road so as I was running and a few metres from the bus stop, I waved my arm, evidently for him and he drove past me. Absolutely no other distractions, he was purely being cruel and thoughtless. Horrible man. We had 30 minutes to wait for another bus.
I must point out I’ve met a few lady drivers who have been excellent

Great services throughout edinburgh. I get a number of different bus services for work and they are all well timed and spaced out. They made some changes with the 30 bus but for my use it worked out better than it was before. Drivers are always cheerful and happy to help. Don't miss driving and looking for parking spots in edinburgh!

This review is no reflection on the drivers cause most are brilliant and put up with alot of crap. But the service is shocking I was looking to walk and bus to work and stop using my car but no chance! I have 1 bus the 31 and the service is abysmal busses missing, late or just don't come at all. If you want people to ditch their cars ur gonna have to do one he'll of alot better than the abysmal service u put on now and u have the cheek to hike the prices as well. What a joke of a service.