Airport shuttle service put up for sale
23.02.09
The minibus service that ferries people from their door to Edinburgh Airport has been put up for sale by the company that will run the city's new tram system, the Herald reports. The Edinburgh Shuttle has been put up for sale by Lothian Buses, which is run by Edinburgh Transport, the city council's company that will operate the new integrated system in the city from 2011.
The shuttle charges £10 for an adult single compared with the £3.50 single fare on the double decker Skylink bus, which is also run by Lothian Buses. The company claims it has built up an ‘impressive’ passenger base offering a cost effective and alternative transport option compared to taxis. Since 2006, Edinburgh Shuttle has carried on average 75,000 passengers a year.
Lothian Buses described the service as an ‘innovative demand-responsive airport transfer business’. A spokesman insisted the shuttle service was viable but said if a buyer cannot be found by April it will be shut down and staff possibly redeployed ‘as it does not fit in with core business’.
Edinburgh Shuttle has 37 full-time staff, most them drivers operating from a base in the centre of the city. It has 10 mini-coaches, which have been converted to carry just seven passengers. A similar service operated by National Express in London offering door-to-door transfers to Heathrow and Gatwick was put up for sale last year. It was ultimately closed when a buyer could nit be found.
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