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Transport Experts Call for New Park-and-Ride

Posted on: Thursday, 22 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

A PARK-AND-RIDE service should be built to serve commuters from Midlothian who work in Edinburgh, transport experts have said.

A new study has called for a dedicated bus service from Lothianburn, just south of the city bypass.

The report, compiled for the South East Scotland Regional Transport Partnership (Sestran), recommended Lothian Buses' number 11 route be extended beyond the Fairmilehead crossroads.

It also called for a peak-hour express bus service every 15 minutes from the A702 to Princes Street, via Morningside and Bruntsfield.

The site would have room for 350 cars, with the possibility of a further 150-space expansion. It is estimated the entire scheme would cost GBP 1.44 million, with an operating cost of GBP 150,000 per year.

Lothian Buses today said it would be keen to supply public transport for the project, which would bring the number of Edinburgh park-and-rides to seven - including the sites at Straiton and Todhills due to open next year.

When completed, it is thought that the entire park-and-ride network will cut out around 30,000 car journeys every week.

Bill Campbell, Lothian Buses' operations director, said: "We would be happy to support another park-and-ride site, if a suitable location at Lothianburn can be found.

"Lothian Buses would introduce services from there, similar to the ones from the new park-and-rides at Ingliston and Hermiston."

The Sestran report also called for additional bus lanes on Comiston Road to avoid delays during peak hours.

Based on detailed estimates, the transport experts said the new park-and-ride would attract close to 500 cars a day by 2011.

The rural Lothianburn site close to the Pentland Hills, next to a golf course and away from any residential areas.

The report's authors did admit, however, that homes for badgers and water voles would be threatened by the development.

"Bus-based park-and-ride forms part of Edinburgh's overall transport strategy and this site obviously fits well with the City of Edinburgh Council's local transport plan, as part of a ring of park-and-ride sites around the city bypass," they wrote.

"By its very nature, it also provides enhanced integration between car and bus, making it more likely that existing car users would consider leaving their car at the edge of the urban area."

The study will be considered by the Sestran board sometime next year. The organisation is due to become a statutory body in April, as part of a massive shake-up of the transport decision making process in Scotland.

Planning permission would need to be granted by Midlothian Council, and the success of the nearby Straiton park-and-ride is likely to have a bearing on whether it is introduced.

Councillor Andrew Burns, the Capital's transport chief, said: "The Sestran study involves all the councils, and not just Edinburgh. In Edinburgh, we have got four park-and-rides with another two set to open next year. These are operating successfully and I have no reason to believe the new sites won't do the same."

Source: Evening News; Edinburgh (UK)

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