THE PRIDE of Edinburgh’s award-winning bus fleet was reduced to a wheel-spinning shambles after being caught out on the capital’s snowy streets today.
At one point up to 16 buses – mostly double-deckers including numerous of the fleet’s newest vehicles – were queued helplessly on major roads.
Drivers were unable to get up the slope of Leith Street and onto the east end of Princes Street.
They were spotted helplessly spinning their wheels on the unploughed streets.
Lothian Transport staff in lighter support vehicles were left trying to dig out snow and slush from under the wheels of the wallowing buses.
While drivers from the backed up fleet gathered helplessly to watch the drama.
Meanwhile the knock on effect saw traffic ground to a halt back to Leith Walk, where many more buses were left idling along with other vehicles unable to move.
On nearby Broughton Street it was a similar picture of chaos with buses unable to reach the top of the Street.
At one point up to 15 buses were stuck in just 300 yards from Broughton Street to Mansfield Place.
Fed up passengers were forced to disembark from the buses and start walking.
While frustrated drivers caught in the snarl ups caused further chaos by trying to get past the stranded buses – even taking to the wrong sides of the street.
Pictures taken this morning show the pandemonium caused by the unkempt roads.
In one picture, a long line of double decker buses can be seen lining the pavements of the streets of Edinburgh, unable to move any further.
A video shared by Iain Masterton, from Edinburgh, shows a double decker bus destined for the Royal Infirmary being pushed up Leith Walk.
Three men, including another Lothian bus worker can be seen trying to push the large vehicle up the long hill out of the snow.
Speaking today, Iain said: The new three axle buses are hopeless. Old buses are much better.
“Traffic lights are causing problems, once buses get going they have to stop at red lights.”
The photos and videos come as a result of Storm Darcy, which has brought snow and freezing temperatures across Scotland this week.
Temperatures across Scotland are expected to dip as low as -16 due to the storm with the next few days expected to be exceptionally cold.
