East Lothian on the Move

Our bus champions use the local buses regularly to go about their lives. Here they share their motivations and experiences.

Moray commutes by bus from Dunbar to Edinbugh

I want to help others to understand not just the environmental benefits of public transport, but the health benefits of a more relaxed commute without the stress of driving, and the safety that a bus can provide particularly in adverse weather.

I have commuted to work either in Inverness or Edinburgh for 35 years with an approximate round trip of 60 miles each day over that period. In that time I've driven to work, used the train and now the bus. Though the bus is the longer commute it is by far and away the cheapest option and certainly the most relaxing. I enjoy the 'me time' on the journey - being able to chill out with a book or listen to music. I avoid the stress of driving and the melee of Edinburgh's railway station.

The flexibility of the Day County Plus ticket means that anywhere in East Lothian or Edinburgh are easily accessible regardless of where you work and a great saving compared to the cost of using your car when ALL running costs are factored in. I also feel that the bus companies do listen to their customers and, where possible, act on the feedback provided to them to improve their service.

Anne, living close to East Linton, is retired and takes the bus to save her from the stress of parking in the city.

I heard about this campaign and wanted to get involved to encourage more people to use the bus in East Lothian. The bus is a brilliant way to get into Edinburgh and the main towns in East Lothian. If more people made use of the buses along the main arteries this would hopefully encourage the bus companies to run buses through the smaller villages.

The buses to Edinburgh now are new, some take bikes, most have WiFi and some also have phone charging points. Travelling by bus you never have to find or pay for a parking place, can check out your emails and social media while travelling and make phone calls.

Jowita from Musselburgh chooses the bus to create a better world for her children

The reason I want to get involved in the campaign is that I am very aware and concerned about our environment and its condition and if I can do anything to help, I will. I want my children to breathe fresh air and enjoy the nature and reducing the amount of cars on the roads will contribute to this. And as Mahatma Ghandi said: 'If you want to change the world, start with yourself'. I want to be the change I want to see in the world.

As we all know, cars contribute a lot to pollution and nowadays our buses are really eco-friendly and their carbon footprint is minimal. Parking a car can be a real struggle; getting a bus seems so much easier. Plus, you can catch up on those important conversations with family and friends, enjoy a book or music, or simply have some time to yourself. I tend to meditate on a bus. If we used buses more often we would not need to build more car parks but we would be able to build more parks and cycle paths!

Robert is a student at Heriot Watt University and also travels from Wallyford into Edinburgh for social occasions.

I have chosen to take part in the East Lothian by bus campaign as I have always had a passion for using public transport and now want to encourage more people to choose the bus instead of travelling by car. As an everyday user of buses across the city and East Lothian, I also see the many benefits there are to travelling by bus, whether it be getting ahead of traffic jams at busy times by using bus lanes, saving on the cost of fuel and insurance for a car or helping to reduce emissions by travelling on a more eco-friendly mode of transport.

Clare, from Aberlady, loves the local bus services.

I commute into Edinburgh three days a week either by bus, bike or lift share. I'm really excited to be a Bus Champion as I feel very strongly about sustainable travel.

Over the last few years I’ve been involved in connecting villages and towns in East Lothian by public transport or walk/cycleways, through the North Berwick Partnership - On the Move group. We now have a really good bus service in East Lothian and I'm happy to promote it!