CONCERN has been raised that the new Wallyford ring road serving new housing developments in the area will not have a bus service in the foreseeable future.

Barry Turner, a member of Musselburgh Area Partnership, former councillor and retired town planner, said: “It should be a matter of principle that new developments some distance from an existing served bus stop – and 400m should be the rule – be served at the earliest possible date so that a bus service is available to new residents from the outset.”

“As a member of Musselburgh Area Partnership, former councillor and retired town planner, I want to see all the new housing developments around Musselburgh properly served by buses.

“It is of concern therefore when I hear that the new Wallyford ring road serving an ever-increasing number of new homes will not, in the foreseeable future, see a bus service, even though bus stops and shelters have been put in place.

“As it stands, many new residents here have no choice but to use a car, something we really should avoid once normality returns.

“All I ask for is that the 44 [bus service] be extended from its existing terminus along Salters Road and into the loop road to terminate somewhere in the centre of the development area.

"Longer-term, bus access will be required further east in the development area as housing expands, as is proposed.

"I do not propose diverting buses away from Salters Road, which will remain the highly accessible spine of Wallyford.

“These same arguments will apply to the massive amount of new housing proposed around Old Craighall and, if it ever gets off the ground, to new housing on the Edenhall Hospital site, which is particularly isolated.

“From my experience, developers do not give much emphasis to accessibility for buses as long as cars are well catered for, but surely good bus access would be a selling point.”

A spokesperson for Lothian Buses said: “Lothian remains committed to delivering for all customers and is currently operating reduced services for those who require essential travel at this time.

“In the longer term, as the country recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, we will explore opportunities to develop our services where there is a prospect of commercial viability.

“Existing bus routes 44, 104, 106 and 113 are located a short walk from the new housing developments at Wallyford.”

Ross Prentice, managing director of Prentice Coaches Ltd, said: “At this time, it is not possible to traverse the loop around St Clements Wells as it is closed to through traffic near the new school, or at least it was when we last checked a few months ago.

“Until the road is fully open then it’s not possible to run any bus services through the area.

"There is also an issue with the traffic calming measures, which will need to be addressed before any bus services can use the road.

“We have asked for bus stops at the western end of St Clements Wells, on the A6094 near the junction with Futures Way, but we’ve been told that the road layout at that junction doesn’t make that possible.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said that initial discussions had taken place with operators on possibly including this route but added: “Bus operators decide on appropriate routes for their services based on customer demand and usage.

"The council may consult with operators on route alterations; however, the commercial decision is a matter for operators on particular routes.”