Edinburgh Next?

With sales agreed in North Devon and now London Northumberland Park, First has begun its restructure. There are reports that next up will be Edinburgh, Scotland, in a possible sale to Lothian Buses, subject to the competition authorities’ approvals. Here, our new Edinburgh Correspondent considers why First has lost ground to Lothian. Omnibuses welcomes contributions

There were many comments in this blog on the announcement of the new livery for First—the scheme forming part of the “fight back” that Giles Fearnly (the newish Bus MD) is spearheading.

Here in Edinburgh, First has garages to the east, south and west of the city (it sold its historical base in the centre some years ago). Over the years, Lothian and First have locked horns in competition both inside and outside the city boundary. On the whole, Lothian wins most battles: indeed erratic and confusing routes to Penicuik to the south of the city provided by First (and Eastern Scottish, its predecessor) have been replaced by regular and simple Lothian routes. It’s easy to think that the present day frequencies (six buses an hour off peak) on one of three route combinations are better than that which existed back in the sixties. First gave up the routes, so what did Lothian do? It did not configure the cheapest option; fares did not rocket compared to the rest of the network; the vehicles are regularly updated; and frequencies were improved.

Embarrassingly for First, Penicuick is closer to its Dalkeith base than to one of Lothian’s. And now First has halved its key route 86 from Dalkeith to Central Edinburgh in the face of more competition from Lothian. Bit by bit, First is being challenged and giving ground to the local operation.

But why are passengers voting with their feet? Simple. The presentation at First is poor and sub-standard, especially when compared to Lothian. One picture posted in a forum was a 55-plated Gemini next to a brand new 11-reg example. Apart from some detail differences and the number plates, the presentation standard is so high that it is impossible to tell which is the newer. The service ethos seems chalk & cheese as well. During the recent high winds, it was not safe to send double deck outside the city bypass. Lothian, quickly and without fuss, swapped double for single decks, and vice versa. Sure, there was probably some “standing room only” type journeys, but journeys there were. And First? It sent its buses back to the depot.

Let’s look at a competitive battleground which, until the last few weeks, was stalemate: the cross-city route 44 (passing close to this correspondent’s home). The fares are identical and both Lothian and First each run every 10 minutes between Balerno in the West and Wallyford in the East. Then all sorts of eastwards bifurcations happen, with Lothian going no further than Tranent. And, more embarrassment for First, both its and Lothian’s 44 pass by the First depot in Mussleburgh. Here we can see how different operators compete, using different standards. Competition has been fairly similar for many years now on this key route.

As an unscientific sample, I spent some time wandering around the key eastern artery of London Road today, along which the 44 heads east out of the city centre, comparing the First and Lothian presentation. Every single Lothian vehicle seen on the 44 was a branded Gemini, with paintwork gleaming and looking smart despite the 55 plates they bare. If you were looking for a Lothian 44, visually it would be easy to spot.


But then First. To be fair, most of the vehicles today were (on average) better presented then the last time I looked. But most were grubby, the off-white base being a kind of off-sludge colour. Some panels I saw were patched up without much care: the worst example was to the near side rear on an Olympian where the previous dark blue and pink vinyl stripe had been crudely painted back on. The painting was not straight and had varying degrees of transparency.

The vehicles seen today were mostly R-reg Olympians, looking as if they are marking time before they collapse in a heap. I also saw an even older ex-Glasgow P-reg example. And then one of the elderly looking P-reg Darts put in an appearance. Not seen today, but Plaxton coaches also sometimes come out: one still with First Cymru plastered on the sides, another in dealer white. And as a special treat, a Mercedes Vario minibus is also sent out sometimes on this key, cross-city, competitive route.

Hardly a consistent or, indeed, an appealing standard of presentation for intending passengers, I would suggest. Further, when you consider that this hotchpotch of vehicles is turned out every day on such a route, against a competitor with a deservedly good reputation that wins awards, that has won ( or is winning) on other key battlegrounds on its patch then that shows the potential low point at First in Scotland East.

In the last few weeks First has just announced it is halving the frequency of the western section from the City Centre. It looks like the retrenchment has begun.

Now it is interesting that Omnibuses’ Northern correspondent remarked recently that the “Barbie 80’s” livery looks better in reality to the pictures and that there are many examples on Manchester’s streets. But as yet, I have not seen or heard any of First’s fleet in South East Scotland in the new livery. As far as I am aware, no new vehicles are due either.

So, is the non-appearance of Barbie 80 up here because the operation is over in First’s eyes? Or because Mr Fearnly has yet to give the Scotland MD a ring yet? One could be forgiven for thinking that actually, the problem is so deep up here that “special measures” are called for, with lots of “executive help”.

Now the situation for First may not be as bad in other areas it operates in. Comments I consistently see suggest that it has problems in most places. There are rumours circulating that the Dalkeith and North Berwick depots are about to be sold to Lothian: to be frank, those rumours circulate with a reassuring regularity. But whichever way the dice will roll in “Scotland East”, Lothian will continue to make in-roads into First, all because of its superb presentation and attention to detail. Up here it looks like First has a *long* way to go before it can even think of challenging Lothian from its pedestal.

From the pavement of London Road today, it looks like Mr Fearnly has a long, hard road ahead of him.