Lothian Buses Reviews 

What’s the point in a telephone system when you call your number to speak to somebody it’s always say can’t connect your call try again later

Worst bus service ever. Everytime I go for a bus it leaves early or is majorly late! I check the app, I have a photo of the timetable and nothing corresponds. Again I’m at the stop on salvesen gardens and the 9.33 has gone early! We arrived at 9.00 and live opposite the stop and it never drove by. I could see on the tracker it was already at the top of pennywell and yet again I have to be late and wait on the next one. This makes for a very stressful experience and how do you expect people to rely on public transport when your drivers are skipping times.The next bus is sitting at silverknowles on his break so clearly is on time. Have a meeting, check your trackers and sort it out! Standing at a stop with a 4 year old on a busy road in the rain is not fun and if I’m on time they can be! And just as I thought I have caught the next bus and he has left the stop 3 min early at 9.45!

Not a complaint about the drivers or the buses, this is a complaint about one of the worst information web site I've encountered,
I put in to find out what buses go where but you have to enter your starting point, fair enough but what if you don't know the name of the starting point only it's close to a park & ride, so you put in that info and what do you get nothing, next plan call up a street route map with all the route numbers of the buses to enable me to see what bus number to get, No can do that's not available either, I'm now beginning to think that Lothian buses wants to keep it a secret where they operate,
I also notice by asking people that if you are disabled or elderly getting public transport to go near our Parliament building is impossible, so much for a council owned bus company, pathetic !

21 buses are late on a daily basis. Very unreliable

I have been using Lothian Bus for commuting to work for many years. Personally, I find the number 26 relatively reliable, but the number 31 is quite often late or never comes at all.

Obviously there can be significant delays depending on traffic conditions. I wish at least the Bus live tracker would include such information and be reliable.

Well..you wait so long for a bus that it becomes tiresome..hourly service is a joke..seems like the hourly service is to suit yourselves rather than the customer

Sorry to say I just witnessed a driver putting a disabled person with a walking aid off the bus with his wee dog.(last bus for the night)
The man had his dog on a towel on the seat, the driver said get the dog off the seat, the man stated he's on a towel, driver didn't care he said could be in a poly bag still no allowed so the man moved the dog onto his knee, still not good enough, the driver stopped the engine and ordered the man off. What a disgrace when there passengers peeing and putting manky feet on the seats. Get a grip lothian buses. Surely if the man was happy with the dog on his knee that should be good enough. Also sick of drivers letting lots of dogs on the bus at same time, it used to always be 1 dog upstairs and 1 downstairs it's ridiculous. Also what happened to priority seating for disabled, elderly and pregnant women? The drivers don't enforce that these days, surely if someone has a disabled persons pass or old aged persons pass the driver should be telling the non pass holder to move. Worrying about a dog sitting on someone's knee is pathetic when tbh the dog looked full pedigree and spotless unlike some of the manky mongerels(human) that are on the buses.
Some drivers think they are the be all and end all they need to realise they are only a bus driver not Alan Sugar!

I'm currently sat on a number 16 home from work at 8pm on Tuesday 12th March.

The driver is always super enthusiastic and friendly.
He checks the back door to make sure everyone is off before opening the front.
He acknowledges everyone getting onto the bus and ensures everyone is happy and has a good evening.

As a non driver I rely on the buses daily.
If all the drivers had a smile on there face and a friendly word everyone we would all be happy.

Lovely driver and very happy customer

What a s**t show of a company. First time using Lothian buses in ages, hopefully never have to use them again! Buses never on time, bus trackers, apps all show different times. Bus was showing No. 1 bus would arrive 12.07, then 12.09, nothing arrived - then changed to 22.24, eventually arrived 22.26, then proceeds to break down😩 Shuffled onto another bus who sat for about 10 mins - I’d have been quicker walking! Worst service ever😡

Ghost company. Never on schedule and when they do most of the times I use them they're full. They always claim unforeseen circumstances, such as traffic which is cheap excuse as their delays are every day even weekends when there is no traffic. Totally not worth that £2 ticket, especially when it takes ages to take you were you want to go.

My grandson is in a wheel chair . On the bus it is wheel chair space /// yet people use it for buggies. Drivers say they cant ask them to move . I have had many row.s about this. IT does say wheel chairs not for buggies
I have written many times to lothain buses and had no reply.

No cash taken on these buses according to driver and my card would not work on the bus even though I used it in a shop.... Luckily I had another card.. But if the situation ever arises none of my cards work I will not be leaving the bus. This will become a problem for your driver.

Yet again eh LRT at there best or worst never on time constantly changing drivers at bus stops drivers taking sh.it to each other keeping people back you get to the bus stop what does it say delayed again or drivers never wait for you they see you running again you either shape your or get lost or better still give the public back there money

Terrible company, buses always late with no reason behind it even when you email to enquire why the bus you rely is 1hr+ late, worse than First bus and that says 100000000 words.

Shame on you for keeping us waiting for over 45 min for the X7, on Tuesday 06-02-24, 18:38 pm buss. At 2’c with winds for over 25km/h! Appalling! We are nothing but live stock to you!

There was a travel coach from a company mainline coaches that was parked over the bus stop stopping the number four bus from letting people from alighting safely this was opposite the Tesco service station on the Willowbrae road.

What do you do to the buses going to Port Seton?

7 mins display 50 minutes later the bus arrives?

This happens all the time with Seton Sands buses ?

WHY ?

There is an amazing driver who is so cheerful on the number 16 bus He wasn't afraid to tell those young girls to stop swearing as there were young children on board He is to be applauded.Wish more people would be like him.

Forgot my phone on the bus, spoke to other drivers about which depot my bus goes to at the end of the night, went to that depot and found that the driver, Gordon Begbie (legend), took my phone in. Staff at the depot were super friendly. Much appreciated!!!

I’ve been a resident in Edinburgh since 2014 and over the years I’ve witnessed and experienced the great decline of this bus service.

This bus service used to be honestly one of the best public transport services in the uk and even in Europe where I’ve spent a good chunk of my life.

It’s now gotten to the point where the Greek bus service runs more efficiently and on time than this one .

It wasn’t even Covid it was getting worse before 2020. So many buses are no shows, constantly 10-25 mins late as bus drivers stop off at certain stops on their route and p*** about.

I’ve heard that they don’t pay well and treat new drivers like cattle and older more experienced drivers get to choose their routes and times making it a horrible experience for new drivers.

Please sort your god awful app out where it never tracks buses properly and even Google and third parties track it better then your first party app.

It’s the only main service in Edinburgh so it’s not like I can choose a competitor.

I hate complaining and this is my first trust pilot review ever but I had to say something as this service is taking the absolute p***.

I’ve raised a complaint and will update once I’ve had a response.