Bus firm fined in public inquiry

Joan Aitken, traffic commissioner for Scotland, fined the firm

A firm running buses in Edinburgh and the Forth Valley has been fined a total of £131,750 by the traffic commissioner.

It follows a public inquiry in November after complaints over First In Scotland East not running some services, leaving people waiting at bus stops.

Joan Aitken, traffic commissioner for Scotland, said First had until 15 May to pay the fine to Scottish Ministers.

First said it was disappointed with the level of the fine.

The bus firm had been warned at two previous public inquiries.

Paul Thomas, managing director for First in Scotland East, said: "We are disappointed with the level of fine imposed, especially as many of the factors affecting the reliability and punctuality of First bus services were not within the company's control and were all presented at the public inquiry.

"We remain fully committed to providing a safe, reliable and punctual service for all of our passengers across East and Central Scotland.

"In the last year we have invested over £7m in new vehicles and we are continuously recruiting and training staff as part of our overall effort to continually improve our services."