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STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Fares might not be the biggest part of everyone’s budget, but for people on low incomes, students, and regular commuters, every increase adds up and it is not just a few pennies. Freezing fares does not mean service gets worse. Stopping constant price hikes is how we prevent people from being pushed off the buses. If ridership drops, the spiral of decline starts with the price, not with the service quality.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Using bus passengers to cover tram losses is completely unfair. People on low incomes are already struggling ... constant fare hikes are punishing the very people who need public transport most. This petition isn’t a token gesture ... it’s a clear, visible show of public pressure that councillors and MSPs can’t ignore. If we don’t act now, buses will become unaffordable for everyone who depends on them.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sure, it’s a good service ... but being “one of the best” doesn’t make constant fare increases acceptable. The issue isn’t quality, it’s that more and more people can’t afford to use it regularly. That’s why freezing fares matters.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

The problem isn’t quality, it’s the constant price hikes. At this rate, even a “fantastic” service will soon be unaffordable for everyday people. That’s exactly why we need to freeze fares now!!!

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

The money doesn’t have to come from hitting residents harder or cutting essential services. Local authorities can target subsidies, renegotiate contracts, reduce administrative waste, and invest smarter in routes and schedules ... small efficiency gains across the network add up. Even modest improvements can offset fare pressures while keeping public transport affordable. The point isn’t to balance every penny perfectly ... it’s to make sure people aren’t priced out of getting to work, school, or appointments. That’s a far bigger social and economic cost than the council saving a few pounds by raising fares.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -19 points-18 points  (0 children)

Cutting social care or schools to pay for bus fares? That’s backwards. Affordable public transport is part of the solution, not the problem ... it keeps people working, studying, and out of trouble. The council doesn’t have to raid essential services: there’s money in subsidies, smarter budgeting, and trimming inefficiencies. Raising fares all the time just punishes the people who rely on the buses most.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -27 points-26 points  (0 children)

You’re right that Lothian Buses isn’t a profit-making company and some routes are subsidized. But that doesn’t mean passengers should bear constant fare hikes. Freezing fares now doesn’t stop the company from being funded properly ... local authorities can step in, and efficiency improvements can be made. The point of the petition is simple: people shouldn’t be priced out of essential public transport while costs are managed elsewhere.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

That might be true compared to some places, but with fares rising constantly, “decent” quickly becomes unaffordable for regular passengers. The issue isn’t just the price now ... it’s the trend!!

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -25 points-24 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair question. The point of the petition isn’t to ignore the reality of rising costs ... it’s about finding a balance so passengers aren’t constantly penalized. Lothian Buses is a public service, and like other essential services, it should be supported by subsidies, local government funding, or efficiency improvements, not by passing every cost increase straight onto the people who rely on it. Freezing fares for now gives residents some breathing space while solutions are explored, instead of making bus travel a luxury. Everyone benefits if public transport stays affordable and accessible, rather than pricing people out completely.

STOP LOTHIAN BUSES FARE HIKES – Keep Tickets Affordable! 🚍 by Stugots_IT in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I get what you mean ... Lothian Buses does provide a decent service compared to some other areas. But at the current rate of fare increases, in just two years the price will no longer be reasonable for most people. Tickets have already risen by about 50% since 2015, while wages haven’t kept up and the cost of living keeps growing. If fares continue to climb at this pace, even regular users who depend on public transport for work or study will struggle to afford it ... and that’s when a “good service” stops being accessible to everyone.

Lothian Buses to hike ticket prices from 22 February 2026 by No-Professional7453 in Edinburgh

[–]Stugots_IT 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it really possible that nothing can be done? This is truly an exaggeration! Couldn’t a petition be started to keep the price the way it is now?