Craig Hoy has slammed Lothian Buses in parliament after they refused to meet with MSPs for a “second and vital” meeting about bus services.
Lothian Buses has met individually with all East Lothian MSPs. However, when an emergency group meeting was requested by MSPs, the company refused, citing previous individual meetings and diary constraints as the reason.
In Parliament, Craig said: “Lothian Buses has withdrawn key services from communities including Stenton, Macmerry, Tranent, Prestonpans and Penicuik. Macmerry is losing all but peak services into Edinburgh, which is, frankly, a disgrace. Following the announcement, and before some of the adverse effects on commuters were fully reported to us by our constituents, local MSPs met Lothian Buses separately. However, a request for a second and urgent meeting involving all local MSPs this week has been turned down by bus bosses, who high-handedly say that they cannot meet until May at the earliest, which will be weeks after service cuts come into force.”
The move came after Craig Hoy, a South Scotland MSP, called on bus bosses to meet after key services were withdrawn.
Speaking afterwards Craig said: “I raised my concerns and anger in the Scottish Parliament that Lothian buses will not meet with local MSPs again until long after these damaging changes have come into force. Many constituents have raised serious concerns with me since my original meeting with them. Bus bosses must remember that they are owned by local authorities and must therefore be prepared to be open and accessible to elected representatives.”
He added: “I hope Lothian Buses think seriously about this and that they will agree to meet with MSPs again before services are withdrawn. Individual meetings took place shortly after the route changes were announced, but this was before the full scale of their impact became clear. Lothian are dodging this vital meeting which I think is unacceptable. The number of personal stories and case studies that have now been sent to me hammers home the harm these changes may cause some communities."
Craig has also recently conducted a survey of bus users across South Scotland. The research found that 90% of respondents were negative about the timetable changes.
