First Buses

I was flabbergasted to see that many bus operators can work in the same city at the same time, from the same bus stops, doing similar routes!
First costs the same as Lothian, but didn’t seem to be on time, go where we needed it to go, or even run at all at the time we needed to take it! (8pm towards a main train station!!)
All in all seriously bad service. I’d recommend avoiding these buses, to better enjoy your visit.

First buses are okay on particular routes for example the borders bus operating to Galashiels.
Travelling within in Edinburgh I much prefer to use Lothian buses. First buses in my experience are not the most reliable, either the bus doesn”t turn up on time or it breaks down during the journey as most of the buses are very old.
First buses tend to be very grubby inside to and noisy.

first bus offer a very bad service and i would nor recommend them at all. The driver i have had is rude and very unhelpful. Pulling away from stops when elderly people are still finding seats etc.

I do like Lothian Buses and mostly ride them, but I also like First Buses and if my circumstances were different they would be my main method of travel.
First Buses are not everywhere in Edinburgh, but that’s because they technically don’t have many buses that go to Edinburgh, rather they have ones that go through Edinburgh. If you’re travelling in from South Queensferry, Bathgate, or Livingston, and you don’t have a car and can’t afford the train, these buses make it possible.
Most of the fleet is new, and even the buses that aren’t new are low built and can take a wheelchair. The drivers tend to be more chilled out than the Lothian drivers and the buses on the whole are emptier and calmer. So right away you get the benefit of not exploding from stress trying to get home.
You also get the fun of speeding past Lothian buses who have to stop at every stop and take people on, whereas your bus isn’t needed by most people and typically only stops to let people off, including you, five minutes earlier to your destination.