See here for details; http://www.midlothian.gov.uk/Article.aspx?TopicId=0&ArticleId=19119

Be interesting to see how much extra time is added onto journeys for the Park & Ride..

Interesting stuff there - thanks.
I am amazed how quickly they are getting on with the roadworks for the Park and Ride site - if only they could show the guys doing the rest of the A701 "upgrades" to work like that!

It was bad enough that they made the X47 stop at Cameron Toll, but now if it also has to stop at the new park and ride it is going to take even longer I'm not sure I like the idea of some 47s being diverted via the Bush either. Can there really be that much of a demand from people in the Bush to justify the diversion?

I thought the 'X' indicated a fast service, as in 'express', and I seem to remember the good old days when the express didn't stop between Cameron Toll and nearly Penicuik, but gradually it has come to mean that it doesn't detour around and about like the others, yet stops all over the place. Now a new detour is going to be introduced at the Park and Ride, it will surely get slower. How is this an improvement?

Edit - Now that I think of it, I seem to remember that the express didn't stop between Surgeons' Hall and Penicuik many years ago.

The X tends to be used on services anywhere that are either Express or Limited Stop. In the good old days the X71, X77 & X78 Timesaver services where just the biz but as is rightly pointed out over the years Lothian have eroded away at the expresses and to my mind the current X47 is merely a limited stop which should suggest faster journey times, but as anyone who has used it knows a standard 47 can do the journey just as quickly. The stop at Cameron Toll I can understand and to a certain extend the extension into the P & R BUT if only it could run non-stop from Salisbury Place into Surgeons Hall the amount of time lost here is rediculous. I know that any X47 & 47 that I have used during the peak times tend to be well loaded so best of luck to folk who park and expect to get on a bus City bound...

Here's another posted on the council website, to take effect as of 20th October:

Lothian Buses - New Service 67 - Hanover Street - Potterrow - Summerhall - West Mains for King's Buildings - Kaimes Crossroads - Straiton P+R - Bilston - Easter Bush Vet Centre - Pentland Science Park - Gowkley Moss

This new service will run hourly during the daytime Mon-Fri, increasing to every 20 minutes during the morning and late afternoon peaks.Coming from the city the last setting down point will be the last bus stop before Gowkley Moss Roundabout. The bus will then run around the roundabout to turn, and the first pick-up on journeys back to the city will be the first bus stop after the roundabout heading into the Bush.

"You cannot be serious", as was once screamed in disbelief at percieved ridiculous decisions. What kind of bus service is that, for cryin' out loud? Oh, pardon me, I forget all the commuters from Gowkley Moss. But, thereagain, perhaps something is afoot of which we have no ken, maybe that huge brand new never used vacant science park building at Bush is about to be occupied, requiring a specific service for the scientists, which will not be filled when arriving at their stop by the Penicuik punters on the way back into town.

Does seem an odd bus service. There must be some reason for it and they are not telling us about it (no change there) as even students going to the vet centre could not justify such a service. No doubt there will be some crazy rumours around soon....
PS: I wonder if it has anything to do with the streetlights on the road up to that big building being on after dark, even though it is supposedly empty???

I have to agree with everyone that it does seem to be a very strange route. I wonder if this service is being subsidised? If it is, would it not be better providing the funds for services that go through places like Roslin. The few times that I have used the 15a I have found that most of those who use it are usually on the bus before Gowkley Moss and then when you arrive in Edinburgh.

Reponse from Lothian Buses when I asked them if they would consider routing this new service through Roslin.

Service 67 is being introduced with significant funding from the University of Edinburgh with the primary objective of improving links between their Campuses for their students. As you mention, the service links Potterrow, Summerhall, King's Buildings and The Vet School at The Bush.

The new service will also improve links between The Bush development and the City Centre and offer students the chance to make use of the new Park and Ride facility at Straiton.

The service will be reviewed after 6 months and an assessment made then about its future. It is safe to say that without the financial support of the University of Edinburgh, Lothian Buses would not operate such a service commercially.

Makes sense, in a time where everyone is being encouraged to use public transport. Be interesting to see what happens.

It will fail, although I suppose I should prefer to be proved wrong, if that makes any sense at all.

I see the Park and Ride at Straiton opens on the 5th of October. It will be interesting to see what effect it has on all the cars which currently park around Penicuik, especially at Tesco which often looks to be busy with loads of cars but then you go in and the store is empty!

Don't think the word has really spread yet that the park and ride is open as yesterday morning there was only about 15 cars parked and as predicted the 3 people had to stand as the bus was full, hopefully it will get better.

Although one car in particular that likes to park in our street from about 8am to 8pm hasn't obviously seen it is open yet!

Yesterday there were about 5 cars at 7am and 2 people boarded. At night a couple of passengers got off the bus. This morning there were no cars and no pick ups. The 47 that I was on coming home at 5pm tonight did not divert into the car park but there must have been about 20 cars or so.