Frequently asked questions
Why have you chosen this route for the trial?
Lothian Buses data has shown that travel times along this route have risen, and that the service 44 is one of the services most affected by delays and reliability issues outside of the pre-trial bus lane operating hours.
The route also features a mix of street types, including shops, tenements and housing with driveways. This allows us to test and evaluate the trial across various urban settings.
This section of route avoids 'Greenways' restrictions which are complex and bespoke statutory roads orders. If we want to modify them we need to seek approval from Transport Scotland. Choosing a route without Greenways meant we were able to put this trial in place much faster.
The route also has a high volume of different bus services, not just Lothian Bus Service 44, which means we will be able to collect more comprehensive and robust data.
Why are the hours 7am to 7pm, seven days a week?
Bus journey time data shows that delays are not limited to the traditional weekday peak periods when bus lanes currently operate.
Lothian Buses data showed that some of the highest delays for buses are on Fridays and weekends, particularly around the middle of the day and into the afternoon. On weekdays, bus journey times also increased before the morning and afternoon bus lane times started.
Using the same hours each day is more consistent and easier to follow than varying times across the week.
Won't this make traffic congestion worse?
We used traffic flow surveys to measure the volume of traffic split by time of day. These showed that we shouldn't see significant increases in traffic congestion as traffic volumes are generally lower outside the weekday peak periods. The impact on traffic journey times will be monitored during the trial.
Can changes be made during the trial?
We're using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) for the trial. This means we can make changes if monitoring results and feedback show that we need to do this.
How will you enforce the new bus lane restrictions?
We've installed updated signs and road markings which show the parking and loading regulations. We've also put in additional warning signs along the route and on side roads.
See the locations of the warning signs.
Read a guide to the signs and road markings.
We will continue to use a combination of bus lane cameras and parking enforcement patrols during the trial. There are already two bus lane cameras along the corridor. We will not be adding more bus lane cameras.
Use the to see locations.