‘Government must provide proper funds’

A 10p rise in the spring would mean fares have gone up by more than twice the rate of inflation in  recent years.

Of course, the cost of motoring has gone up dramatically in that time as well.

But there is a risk when we increase bus fares that we put some people off using public transport.

We are lucky to enjoy a high-quality bus service in the Lothians – catching a local bus in many other parts of Scotland will remind you of that.

And because Lothian Buses is council-owned the profits are generally reinvested in improving and maintaining services, or are used to keep our council tax down.

A major problem here, though, is that the Scottish Government wants local bus firms to pick up a growing share of the cost of its concessionary travel scheme.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that taking millions of pounds away from bus companies is likely to lead to cuts in services or increases in fares.

Free bus travel for pensioners is a widely used and highly valued scheme which deserves our support.

But it only works fairly when the Scottish Government provides the proper funding to meets its pledges. Otherwise local bus passengers are left to pay the shortfall.

Bumpy road ahead

We’ve all been there. Waiting patiently in traffic while a white van appears from nowhere and nips past in the bus lane.

Left circling the supermarket car park for ten minutes because of people who have decided their car deserves two spaces.

It seems selfish, lazy and often dangerous drivers are everywhere in Edinburgh . . . or are they?

Those behind the new Edinburgh’s Worst Drivers Facebook site think so and have uploaded a rogue’s gallery of offenders, opening the debate about whether the Capital is home to more maniac motorists than anywhere else.

We’re not sure. For every bad piece of driving you see in the Capital, there will be countless other examples of considerate motoring.

What we can say for sure is that Edinburgh’s drivers are among the most hard-pressed in the country, after years of tram works, constantly changing diversions, and pothole- laden streets.

We will be watching the progress of the Facebook site and the debate with interest. You never know, it just may make us all a little bit more considerate on the road.