Lothian Buses back in the black

EDINBURGH'S main bus operator has turned around its finances 12 months after reporting an operating loss for the first time.

New accounts posted by Lothian Buses have revealed the firm made an operating profit of 9.29 million against a loss of 801,000 in 2008. The company has reported an 8.3 per cent rise in turnover, to 112 million, despite a 5.3 per cent drop in passengers. It has shed more than 150 jobs, including cutting the number of drivers from 1,677 to 1,570.

The accounts state: "The directors are of the opinion that the group remains in a sound position to maintain its role as the major operator of buses and open-top tours in Edinburgh and the Lothians."