megabusser
Member
I saw a Bright Bus Tours bus with ‘T In The Park’ on its side LED on Princes Street today. Rather odd since T in the Park is a music festival that last ran in 2016…!
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Edinburgh Tour Operators: Bright Bus, Lothian (Majestic, Three Bridges) etc.
- Thread starter overthewater
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Theproinsider
Member
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that BBT's Britannia Tour has been reduced to hourly.
Lothian285
Member
905 is back on the 3 Bridges Tour today, I just saw it on Princes Street.
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
Not sure on the exact reasons for this, but I know 232 has been out of use for several months now. I’d suggest it’s something like this:
233 must be having something done to it while 249 and 250 are covering for some of the other tours’ vehicles having work done as well. Therefore standby 905 has made a surprise return to service as there’s simply no alternative?
stevenedin
Member
I’ve just noticed that Bright Bus Tours have put their prices up. It used to be £10 for 1 tour and £16 for 2. Now it’s £18 for 1 and £25 for 2. That’s a steep increase. When did this go up?
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
Wow. Lothian are only £26 for their three over 2 days so you could argue they are now better value.
Is this a sign McGill’s want to move away from the budget offering that Bright Bus was set up with in mind?
Last edited:
It went up just prior to the festivals in August, and as said above makes Lothian's offering better value, especially when taking into account the Live Guide on the Edinburgh Tour, which I know is a big draw for some...
stevenedin
Member
Maybe they are just milking as much out of it as they can before giving up the Livingston depot but who knows what will happen.
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
- Messages
- 8,176
If McGill closed the Livingston depot Bright bus isn't going anywhere, they would just move the operations to a new unit nearer Edinburgh. I would be surprised if Lothian didn't take this chance to increase its price before Spring of 2024.
CraigLockhart
Member
- Joined
- 6 Jun 2019
- Messages
- 32
With the news that Lothian are converting a number of tour buses to electric one has to wonder if the council will alter the LEZ rules to specify that all tour buses within the zone are electrically powered thereby forcing Brightbus to do likewise.
megabusser
Member
Zero chance of that, would require legislative change at the Scottish level. They also couldn’t realistically distinguish between tour buses and other ones.
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
A sound idea at first, but it would never be allowed to happen. Far too many legal challenges likely and probably more hassle than it’s worth.
PM1007722/12 Cancelled
EDINBURGH BUS TOURS LTD
Route: Waterloo Place, Edinburgh to Waterloo Place, Edinburgh via Botanic Gardens, Oceam Terminal, Leith, Holyrood
Service number: Majestic Tour
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 24 Mar 2024PM1007722/14 Cancelled
EDINBURGH BUS TOURS LTD
Route: Waverly Bridge, Edinburgh to Hawes Pier, South Queensferry or Port Edgar Marina via West End, Blackhall, Barnton
Service number: Forth Bridges Bus & Boat Tour
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 24 Mar 2024
I'd assume something will appear in due course as I doubt the Majestic Tour would be cancelled completely? It's still advertised for the Royal Edinburgh Ticket beyond 24th March, when it will increase from £65 to £69.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Wonder if they are discontinuing bus and boat this year or if they are simply going to do something major in terms of altering or relaunching it hence the cancel registration
'The Regal Tour' seems to be replacing the Majestic Tour:
PM1007722/18 New
EDINBURGH BUS TOURS LTD
Route: Waterloo Place to Waterloo Place via Holyrood, New Town, Royal Botanic Gardens, Newhaven, The Shore, Ocean Terminal, Bonnington
Service number: The Regal Tour
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 24 Mar 2024
Last edited:
Trident700
New Member
LothianBusesPh
Member
The Regal Tour will be a renamed Britannia Tour and a slightly different route. Three Bridges Tour has indeed been cancelled.
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
The whole Majestic/Regal thing seems like a rather pointless rebrand to me. Why do I have a feeling that the colour’s going to end up in some kind of royal style purple and lose the blue too?
The Bus and Boat Tour was fine when it used to only run to actually meet the Boats. Then when they rebranded it to 3 Bridges Tour and made it hourly, it was empty a lot of the time. I’m a little surprised it’s gone completely though.
Indeed, I said this above.
I'm not sure about previous years but last year it was every two hours with times designed for buses to arrive a few minutes before the boat departed. I don't recall it ever being hourly?
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
I’m sure it was hourly for a few years during the Hall era before COVID. That was the big reason why a second bus was added to the pool from the sole one. It would’ve been the year 650 joined 651 that it started.
Ricky Kane
Member
- Joined
- 15 Jul 2019
- Messages
- 179
I know it's not Edinburgh related but I saw 651 the other day and it's getting ready for the next tour season.
Does anyone know if any of the Electric conversions on the tour fleet have been completed?
Last edited by a moderator:
LothianBusesPh
Member
We suspect that 232 is away getting converted, it being the first one and taking a long time could also help that suspicion with them trying to make it better and make blueprints, etc. Other than that, no.
Yes - as I've said to you this page updates every Sunday night or Monday morning with the most recent registrations - It also has been mentioned in two posts above.
The Majestic tour is now solely operating with 249/50 while the rest of the fleet are prepared to become Regal Tour branded. I have no idea as to whether this is a change of vinyls or a new livery.
Last edited:
Lothian285
Member
The Edinburgh Bus Tours social media banners have been updated with new logos for the Edinburgh Tour and Regal Tour: https://www.facebook.com/edinburghtour
And the new tour liveries have now been unveiled: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=914565937342527&set=pcb.914565967342524
And the new tour liveries have now been unveiled: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=914565937342527&set=pcb.914565967342524
Last edited:
VioletEclipse
Member
It seems they're going for plain and simple, which I think works fairly well. not really got many complaints apart from the fact that the tartan patterns on the front don't line up with eachother.
FlybeDash8Q400
Established Member
My only criticism of them would be that it appears to be wraps and as such I’m not sure these will look great in a couple of years time. Overall, I think the rebrand is rather pointless to be honest.
LothianBusesPh
Member
This photo of mines clearly shows that it's a wrap from Friday when they were all on convoy to Marine with some doing a photoshoot at the Royal Mile. You can see the panel gaps in yellow and whatever. I don't know if I made the image small enough for the forums.
Scotrail88
Member
- Joined
- 21 Jul 2014
- Messages
- 317
Is there any update to the conversion of open tops to electric?
Would have thought winter would be ideal time
Would have thought winter would be ideal time
Wraps can easily be replaced in a day if they start to look untidy, or replaced entirely with a new design. They look great for now, but I think could be a bit brighter (pun not intended!).