Over 121 million passengers travelled on Lothian Buses services in 2015. This is a rise of 3 million on the previous year and bucks the downward trend of bus journeys elsewhere in the country.
The company’s annual report has now been published showing that from its annual income of £142 million the company invested £7.6 million in 20 new low emissions buses which use diesel and electric, and 12 new Euro 6 low emission vehicles for the 100 route to the airport. The operating profit was slightly down on the previous year, but still allowed the bus company to provide a dividend of £5 million to the City of Edinburgh Council who are the main shareholder.
Jim McFarlane, Chair of Lothian Buses, said: “The accounts show that we continue to buck the national trend, once again increasing our passenger numbers and revenue on the strength of the safe, reliable, efficient and highly regarded service that we provide. Our strong performance and effective management of cost pressures also mean that we can again return a £5.5m dividend to the shareholders while also investing more in the next generation of environmentally friendly buses as we aim to reduce our carbon footprint further and improve local air quality. I must commend the whole team, including our drivers, engineers and management, who continue to deliver one of the best bus services in the UK year after year.”
Richard Hall, Managing Director of Lothian Buses, added: “This is a business that has a long track record of delivering high quality services on a foundation of continuing investment and innovation. We need to go forward with this model to maintain our position as one of the country’s leading bus operators. This is important not only for the thousands of customers who use Lothian Buses network of services every day but also for the city as a whole. Our services are essential for the health of both Scotland and Edinburgh’s wider economy.”
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
