PASSENGERS on Edinburgh's only route without low-floor buses are being punished by the city's backlog of road repairs, campaigners said today.

Lothian Buses' number 23 service – from Trinity through Tollcross to Craiglockhart – is unable to run the new vehicles because of one badly-maintained road junction.

Councillors and disability action groups today called for city leaders to push ahead with repairs to the road in Morningside.

By 2010, Lothian Buses aims to replace its entire fleet with low-floor buses, which are easier for the elderly, wheelchair users and people with pushchairs.

However, the camber of the junction of Craighouse Gardens and Craighouse Road means they would be in danger of getting stuck or even tipping over.

The Tarmac at the corner – opposite the Napier University campus – is already scored from scraping the bottom of ordinary buses. The council needs to dig up and realign the road but the work is part of a long line of repairs in a £70 million citywide backlog.

Angela Blacklock, Labour's equalities spokeswoman, is to submit a motion to the next full council meeting calling for immediate action on the junction.

She said: "Unfortunately the number 23 will be the only route which cannot convert to low-floor due to the issue with the camber of the road in Morningside.

"As this is a very busy service it would be a great shame not to be able to offer the same public transport opportunities to disabled people and those with young children as the rest of the city."

Paul Godzik, Labour councillor for Meadows and Morningside, said there was a high elderly population in the area, as well as a number of wheelchair users.

He added: "It would be a great disappointment if the number 23 was the only route in the city without fully accessible buses."

David Griffiths, chief executive of Ecas, a city support group for people with disabilities, said low-floor buses enabled the elderly and disabled to getthe most from their concessionary passes.

"The free pass is not much use if you are not able to get on the bus," he said. "Lothian Buses is one of the leaders in the UK for getting low-floor access buses into its fleet, and we need the council to keep up."

Councillor Phil Wheeler, the city's transport leader, said he was "surprised" by Cllr Blacklock's motion as the council was already working to find a "viable option" for low-floor buses.

He said: "Adjusting the camber of any road can have knock-on effects, such as altering drainage or access to homes, and so we are looking at other options first."

Neil Renilson, Lothian Buses' chief executive, confirmed the junction was the "only road in the city where a road condition prevents us from using the low-floor buses". But he added: "We are more than happy to put the buses on as soon as the road has been adjusted accordingly."

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Charity backs road fight

DISABILITY rights group Capability Scotland has backed a campaign to make a city road accessible to low-floor buses.

By 2010, Lothian Buses aims to replace its entire fleet with easier access low-floor buses.

However, the camber of the junction of Craighouse Gardens and Craighouse Road means its 23 service would be in danger of getting stuck or even tipping over unless the road is altered.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News, Thursday, 7th February, 2008

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Low-floor bus en-route after road repairs

LOW-FLOOR buses will be operating on a popular route by late summer after council chiefs carried out repairs to a Morningside street.

Disability groups and politicians had called for action to be taken on the junction of Craighouse Gardens and Craighouse Road.

Lothian Buses had been unable to run low-floor buses on the number 23 service because of the condition of the road.

But now work has been carried out to change the slope of the road.

Source: Edinburgh Evening News, Friday, 18th April, 2008

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