Accessibility

Lothian endeavours to provide an inclusive service for bus travel in Edinburgh that is accessible to all our customers.

For this reason, our bus drivers and our retail and customer support teams receive training about a range of disabilities, and our buses are designed with safety and accessibility in mind.

We also have a dedicated Accessibility and Inclusion Officer who works across all departments in our business to ensure we are constantly reviewing and making improvements to all aspects of our services.

If you have any questions or concerns about using our service as a disabled person, you can reach out to our Accessibility and Inclusion Officer directly by emailing [email protected].

National Entitlement Cards (NECs)

If you have a disability, are over the age of 60 or under 22, you are entitled to travel on our day services free of charge if you hold a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC). The NEC scheme is a Scottish Government initiative and the terms and conditions regarding their use and eligibility are set by the Scottish Government.

To learn more about the NEC or to apply for one, please visit nec.scot.

Some useful information on using an NEC on our services:

Please be aware that the NEC must be scanned when boarding the bus. If you are unable to scan it yourself, you can ask the driver to scan it for you.
If your NEC is lost, expired or becomes damaged, you will need to pay a fare to travel.
If our drivers have any reason to believe that an NEC is being used fraudulently, they are required to confiscate it under the terms and conditions of use.
NECs are valid on all day services and our Airlink 100 service. They are not valid on NightBus services or Edinburgh Bus Tours.

Travelling with a Mobility Aid

For the safety of all passengers, aisles and walkways must be kept clear at all times.

The aisles of our vehicles are at their most narrow near the driver’s cab, which may be restrictive for passengers travelling with larger mobility aids such as rollators or wheeled walkers.

The designated wheelchair accessible and shared/ buggy spaces are each 0.75 metres wide. Any prams, luggage, wheelchairs or mobility aids stored in these spaces must fit safely and must not obstruct access to the aisle or other seats. We recommend considering these dimensions when purchasing mobility aids for travel purposes.

In line with UK legislation, passengers using a manual wheelchair, powered wheelchair or specialised buggy have priority over the use of the wheelchair accessible space. If you are using this space and a wheelchair user wishes to board, you will be asked to vacate it.

As a city centre operator, our services can become busy, particularly during peak times. Customers travelling with mobility aids, such as rollators or wheeled walkers, may be required to fold them when space is limited. For this reason, we ask that you are familiar with how to fold or collapse your mobility aid so that it can be stored safely either under your seat, in front of you, or in the luggage area.

Conditions of Carriage

Lothian, like all operators, operate within the parameters of Conditions of Carriage. These conditions set out the legal terms under which we provide our services, and they define the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of both our customers and our business. View our Conditions of Carriage.

Lothian acknowledge that our customers have a wide range of needs

We also understand that, for many, public transport is the only option.

Supported Journeys

Did you know that Lothian offers customers the opportunity to try travelling on our services accompanied by our Accessibility and Inclusion Officer, to help build confidence and support travel independence? No matter the reason for why you find bus travel difficult or challenging, we’re here to support you. Learn more on our Supported Journeys page.

We are here to help

Lothian acknowledge and support the fact that not all disabilities are visible and our customers should be able to travel free from judgement. We aim to create a culture of inclusion across Edinburgh and hope all of our customers support us by showing patience and kindness to each other and our colleagues. If you require any additional support with your journey planning or any aspect of your travel with us, please contact our dedicated Accessibility team via email to [email protected]

Accessibility Awards

	Diversity in the Public Sector Award (The Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Awards 2022)
	Excellence in Transport Accessibility Award (Scottish Transport Awards 2022 and 2023)
	Autism Friendly Award (National Autistic Society 2024)