Stagecoach East Scotland has announced a 10% increase in passenger journeys since the re-opening of the Forth Road Bridge, which celebrated its first anniversary as a dedicated public transport corridor on 1 February.
This means Stagecoach services now carry an average of 80,000 passengers per week on the Edinburgh corridor.
The operator runs 350 journeys per day across the bridge, connecting Fife and beyond with Edinburgh city centre, Edinburgh Airport and Livingston. Express coaches operate up to every five minutes from Fife to Edinburgh, using park-and-ride sites as well as directly connecting towns and cities across Fife, Perth and Dundee with the capital.
Douglas Robertson, Commercial Director, Stagecoach East Scotland says: "The public transport corridor has provided longer bus lanes, which means more reliable services and quicker journeys as well as improved connectivity through the use of park-and-ride sites.
"Our investment in new vehicles throughout 2018 also had a positive impact on passenger usage. We launched 19 new coaches last year all operating over the Forth Road Bridge marking a spend of £5.1m and a significant investment in our Express City Connect network.
Following the opening of the Queensferry Crossing in September 2017, the Forth Road Bridge was closed for maintenance until early 2018, when it reopened as a public transport corridor.