Thursday August 28th 2025
Straiton Park and Ride
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Edinburgh’s transport boss has said officers will explore sites for a new park and ride to the south of the city as one in Midlothian is set to lose all service.
And he said the nearest bus stops to the Straiton park and ride site will be upgraded to make them more accessible.
Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “It’s important to clearly articulate that based on not only data supplied by the council but also collated by Lothian Buses over many years, that unfortunately the park and ride hasn’t actually served its purpose.
“It hasn’t worked in the way we’d like it to do. And it hasn’t been as successful as our other park and rides around the city.
“That is the reason why Lothian have taken the decision to stop directly servicing it.”
But he said the parking lot itself – which is near an existing bus stop on Straiton Road – would remain open.
On Sunday, September 7, the X37, 47, and 47B will cease to serve the park and ride, as part of a wider set of changes to the Lothian Buses network.
The firm said that the decision to stop serving was made in consultation with Edinburgh and Midlothian councils, and that it was due to low ridership numbers at the facility.
Cllr Jenkinson said that the park in ride was ‘ironically, a little too close to Edinburgh’, and that he had asked council officers to explore a new park and ride site deeper in Midlothian.
During the pandemic, the building at the 600-space park and ride closed, and has not re-opened since.
It was opened in 2008 with a high-frequency bus service to Edinburgh city centre, meant to draw in commuters from the south of the city.
Six other park and rides exist in and around Edinburgh, with the nearest one to Straiton being near the Sheriffhall roundabout.
Tweet Share on Facebook
