Bus will operate on a Friday and Saturday

A night bus to ensure women’s safety has been launched by a community transport charity.

Night Bus will initially stop at 10 venues in and around Dalkeith and then take women safely home to any postcode in the Midlothian Area on a Friday and Saturday night.

It will nbe operated by Lothian Community Transport Service (LCTS) which has been been providing minibuses to community organisations in Midlothian for 30 years with seven accessible minibuses.

Tickets are £3 per passenger with payments made by emailing nightbus@lcts.org.uk to secure booking by card or by bank transfer.

Fiona Harris - LCTS HR & Business Support Officer, said at its launch: "One of the reasons we decided to launch this project in Midlothian is its mix of urban centres like Dalkeith and rural areas.

“We know that there is increased difficulty in accessing public transport to places like Pathhead and smaller villages like Carrington and Temple.

“That’s why we hope this service will make a real difference not just for the safety of women who are already choosing to go out in Dalkeith, but also creating opportunities for those more isolated to go out where they maybe wouldn’t have considered it before.”

As well as partnering with local venues on its pick up list, LCTS also connected with organisations like StrutSafe and Ask for Angela which share a similar commitment to women’s safety.