CHANGES to the night bus taking people from Edinburgh to Seton Sands have come under fire from a local councillor after parts of the community were dropped from the service.

The revised N26 service, which comes into place next Sunday (September 3), no longer travels through Hawthorn Road and Schaw Road in Prestonpans, or Alder Road and Long Craigs in Port Seton.

Instead, it will simply travel along the coast road from Levenhall to Seton Sands.

Councillor Lachlan Bruce, Preston Seton Gosford ward member, said he had contacted the chief executive of Lothian Buses, which operates the service, to express his concern at the changes.

He said: “I am disappointed by the decision to re-route the N26 away from the top of Prestonpans and along the coast road.

“I am worried about the possible effects on residents who are living at the top of Prestonpans that they could be disadvantaged.

“For example, someone who starts work early in the morning and relies on the service to get to work could be left with a long walk at 2 or 3 in the morning.

“I think that the change to the route is completely unnecessary as the suggested change will lead to no real savings in either time or distance travelled by the bus.

“I have written to the chief executive of Lothian Buses asking him to explain how they came to the decision to re-route the bus and asking them to reconsider the decision.”

Lothian Buses had not responded to the Courier’s request for a comment on the change at the time of going to press.