DOZENS of new electronic Bustracker signs are to be installed in a bid to boost passenger numbers on some of the city's least popular routes.
With the future of some Lothian Buses services in doubt due to falling customer numbers and the rising cost of fuel, it is hoped the 100 new Tube-style signs will aid the viability of under-threat routes. Evidence has shown that people are more likel
y to use buses when they know how long they will have to wait.
Until now, the signs, which were beset by problems when first introduced, have been prioritised on key bus routes such as Princes Street and Leith Walk.
The next £1 million phase, covering three years, will concentrate on Queensferry Road, Silverknowes, Duddingston, Niddrie, Prestonfield, and between the Foot of Leith and the Jewel.
The Lothian Buses services 1, 24, and 38 will also benefit from the expansion of the Bustracker network, and the council will introduce other signs elsewhere in the city using contributions from development firms.
Another £300,000 will be spent on improving the radio communication of the Bustracker system, which suffered from a series of technical glitches in 2005.
Marshall Poulton, the city council's head of transport, said today: "The proposed next phase will include servicing bus stops on less busy routes which I believe will encourage more people on to public transport."
Currently, there are no plans to provide electronic displays at all 2400 of the city's bus stops.
The full article contains 252 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
