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I’ve never been a fan of sightseeing busses, it’s just not my thing, but I totally get why some folks enjoy it and see the value of it.
We are all surely aware of the double-decker busses of which there are many operating at the same time. I can’t be the only one who has noticed that they are ever only 25% full, with the occasional packed and busy one on nice days.
This is Edinburgh, however. It is a small and ancient place which has been retrofitted for a modern world. It is logical that it would suffer with traffic problems and poor maintenance because the nature of the city makes it impossible for the council to ever truly win.
So why must we continue adding fuel to the fire by clogging up narrow streets with oversized and brightly coloured double-decker busses. Lumbering and heaving diesel engines hauling these beasts across cobbled and twisting streets designed with the horse and cart in mind.
I’m not saying get rid of the busses, we need busses, of course. But do we really need this many of the tourist sightseeing busses?
As I have been writing this (in a roughly 20 min period), I have seen 6 double-decker busses filled with no more than 30 people in total. Admittedly, I live on Lothian road which is right on their route, and it is raining so demand for the busses might be less. But again, this is Edinburgh, it rains quite frequently, so who’s bright idea was it to get only open-top busses? Why does it have to be a big diesel double-decker? It just doesn’t add up.
I’m at risk of purely moaning now, so I’ll conclude: I don’t think the tourist busses have to go, I just think they are totally inappropriate for the task. I’m not saying having smaller tourist busses will solve all the council’s problems, I just think it’s a glaring irregularity and needs to be looked at.
Hi! My husband and I are 32 and travelling to Scotland next Fall 2024. Am between renting a car to cruise around highlands for a couple days versus a guided tour.
We are not ypically tour people. We like to walk around, explore. But I have heard great things about Rabbies, Hairy Coo.
Any information is great. Would love to know if their tours are literally sitting on a bus for 3 days straight ;)