‘Situation is frustrating for new parents’

It is an emotive issue for many local residents and it just won’t seem to go away for Lothian Buses.

Today we learn that the campaign to allow all prams on buses is to be relaunched by a group of angry mums and is apparently building up a head of steam with threats to go to court.

You might have thought this had all been sorted out already after the previous protests led to a commitment by the firm to do more to accommodate its youngest passengers.

But it seems a big investment in pram-friendly buses has not gone far enough, at least not for new mums who live on routes without one.

The Evening News has always understood the company’s policy of ensuring that the needs of disabled passengers are given priority, but we also believe this does not automatically mean you must have a blanket ban on prams that cannot be folded.

Other bus firms seem to have no need for such a policy to comply with disability laws and presumably rely on the common sense of both the driver and passengers.

In Edinburgh, we hear stories of parents and babies being left at the stop while a string of buses drive past with empty wheelchair spaces.

It is a confusing and frustrating situation for new parents, and clearly what progress has been made in finding a compromise has not gone far enough.

There are encouraging noises, however, as the firm reveals today it is undertaking new research on accessibility and is looking at further improvements to its fleet.

One thing is for sure, the mums behind Babies on Buses are not going to let it go until there is a solution that recognises their rights alongside those of the disabled.

We gave Lothian Buses credit after it pledged to take action following the last campaign. We hope we will be able to do so again after this one.

A rubbish decision?

News that senior Lib Dem councillors could be coming round to the idea of keeping rubbish collection in-house is not entirely surprising.

With their SNP coalition partners dead-set against the private Enterprise bid and crisis talks to save the administration, something had to give. It means there is sure to be more drama when the privatisation issue is finally ruled on by councillors later this month.

This could be beginning of a dignified climbdown that will potentially keep everyone happy, including bin men.

Everyone, that is, except city taxpayers who may feel aggrieved at the impression that the decision is now not one about best value for the public purse but the best outcome for our ruling politicians.