Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contact me with concerns over First’s proposal to withdraw the X40 service. It’s been quite a day and I’m only beginning to draw breath now and it’s almost 10pm!
Needless to say I’ve not been able to get back to everyone but I will do so over the next few days. The level of concern has been overwhelming, and rightly so.
Since my last update a few more things have moved forward.
I have arranged to meet with the Council’s Public Transport Unit next week to discuss options open to the Council moving forward. I will of course post an update following on from that.
I have prepared a mailing to every Kingswells resident I have an email address for and that will be going out imminently
I have lodged a Notice of Motion to the Council meeting on 6th October 2016 which, subject to agreement of the Leader of the Council, will be debated that day.
It proposes as follows:-
That Council:-
1. Deplores FirstAberdeen’s intention to terminate the X40 service to Kingswells at the end of this year, effectively leaving an entire community without access to public transport.
2. Instructs the Director of Communities, Housing & Infrastructure to seek a meeting with FirstAberdeen to seek to reverse this decision and to further emphasise the need for services to be provided to all areas of Aberdeen.
3. Instructs the Director of Communities, Housing & Infrastructure to look at all available options including meeting with alternative public transport operators to explore the possibility of them providing a service to Kingswells.
4. Instructs the Chief Executive to seek a meeting with the Transport Minister and to meet with Group Leaders to consider how best to ensure that Kingswells residents are not left without a service and investigate how best to protect our communities across Aberdeen from further service withdrawals.
I would hope that all Party support will be forthcoming in this respect.
Please rest assured that I will leave no stone unturned to retain a bus service operating within the village. Updates will be posted as and when appropriate.
Best Regards
