][14] Vehicles previously carried the wording Voted Scotland's Best Bus Company 2006 in a laurel wreath type logo near the fleetname.

[19] Cash fares are paid into a hopper, which automatically dumps the money into a vault to which the driver has no access; change is not given.

[21] It is purchased initially from a Transport for Edinburgh Travelshop, where the owner's picture is incorporated on the card to prevent misuse.

For example, in recent years several confusing details such as letter suffixed routes and clockwise/anticlockwise circular services have been removed from the map.

The majority of current routes pass through the city centre from opposing termini, either crossing or following Princes Street in full or in part.

This means that there are some arteries in and out of the New Town that are served by as many as a dozen different routes, such as Nicolson Street and Leith Walk.

Traditionally, Edinburgh Corporation, LRT and Lothian Buses had been generally painted in a madder (a dark red) and cream (or white) livery.

The last high step bus was removed from service by Lothian in the late 2000s, making the distinction irrelevant.

Lothian began to phase out the harlequin livery in May 2010, replacing it with a version of the traditional madder and white colour scheme.

The livery underwent a minor adjustment when a fleet of new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 XLBs were put into service in 2019, with smoother curves and a lack of a smaller 'cheatline' on the bus's lower sides.

Skylink 300 commenced on 1 October 2017, as an upgrade and renumbering of the old service 35, which ran from the airport to the Ocean Terminal via Slateford, Longstone and South Gyle.

[33][34] The 35 had been a way of getting to the airport while only paying the standard Lothian fare, and usually used repainted ex-Airlink vehicles with extra luggage racks.

[38] Between June 2017 and August 2019 the Airlink service used a light blue and grey version of the standard angular livery.

[42] Lothian later announced the creation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, East Coast Buses, to again fill the gap left by First.

They were similar liveries with the only differences being the vinyls (logos) being put on the buses to signify which company was operating the service.

[47][48][49] This new operation re-used the then-recently defunct Lothian Country Buses brand, for unrelated services travelling the opposite direction out of the city.

This was followed by the X18 on 2 December 2018, serving Edinburgh and Armadale via Broxburn and Bathgate, and night service N28, replicating the existing X27 route as far as Deans South.

[needs update] The design of the livery used by Lothian Motorcoaches is not related to the other brands of the group, being entirely dark grey with silver lettering.

[66] From 5 November 2016, East Coast Buses introduced its own nightbus service under the NightHawk brand, to North Berwick and Dunbar.

[72][73] The company as a whole operates three travel shops,[74] and nine depots: Annandale Street (Head Office)Longstone (also Training Centre)Marine Seafield (Engineering depot)Newbridge (Lothian Motorcoaches) North Berwick, Musselburgh (East Coast Buses)Spott Road, Dunbar (Eve Coaches) Deans Livingston (Lothian Country) Edinburgh has a network of park & ride services operates by Lothian Buses, with sites located at Hermiston, Ingliston, Sheriffhall, Straiton and Wallyford.

[75] Lothian's double decker buses were unique in Scotland in displaying the destination at both the front and rear.

Certain routes have all day short working termini, and minor diversions which are often indicated through the use of internal or external 'tram boards'.

The now closed guided busway element of Fastlink formed part of phase 1a of the tram permanent way.

[80] These were supplemented with the arrival of the first ten Volvo 7900Hs in April 2013, initially allocated to route 1 from Clermiston to Easter Road.

These tri-axle vehicles have been criticised for lacking space to fit pushchairs,[90] as well as their length causing near collisions with motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Several of the vehicles regularly appear at events, rallies and running days around Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Although not developed by Lothian Buses or The City of Edinburgh Council, the application has now won the backing of both organisations.

[108] This was as a result of the company being fined £10,500 by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, having been found to be running buses early.

The Commissioner accepted this defence, and chose not to take action against the company's operating licence (which authorises a maximum of 700 vehicles).

Of Lothian Buses' participation in the series, the company's then chief executive officer Neil Renilson said "It's a good opportunity to keep public transport in the eye of the next generation of customers.