The Partnership of councillors running Aberdeen City Council have confirmed it will propose the continued funding of the Kingswells X14 bus service when the City Council meets on 6th March to set its budget for the next year.

Kingswells, Sheddocksley & Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney said, “I am pleased to be able to announce, in advance of next week’s Budget that the Kingswells bus is set to continue”.

FirstAberdeen pulled the plug on the X40 bus service seven years ago and Aberdeen City Council has funded a bus service for Kingswells ever since.

Steve said, “When First withdrew bus services from Kingswells I was there fighting for a replacement bus service alongside local residents. I can understand the anxiety within Kingswells if people are concerned about losing their bus service again. This why myself and other members of the Partnership have given this commitment ahead of next week’s Budget.”.

The Liberal Democrat / SNP Partnership recognises the vital need for the X14 bus service. Without the bus many people would have great difficulty getting to work. Elderly people and people with disabilities would be unable to get to medical appointments, to socialise or to get out for their weekly shopping.

He continued, “The Partnership is committed to continuing support for the Kingswells bus service. It is absolutely not under threat of withdrawal. I will continue to work with colleagues in the Partnership to ensure continuance of this vital service”.

Additional funding was secured earlier this week which will allow the Kingswells bus to continue offering a full daytime service when the new service commences on 12th June. This follows on from the Council’s budget meeting where the service, originally at risk of being withdrawn, was reduced to cover peak times only with no buses running between 10am and 4pm.

Local councillor Steve Delaney supported a resident led campaign to save the X40 when First were proposing its withdrawal in 2016. Following that withdrawal in 2017 he continued the fight for bus services in the Council chamber and Aberdeen City Council has since then provided a bus service (currently operated on their behalf by Stagecoach)  for  Kingswells. Steve attended a public meeting a few weeks ago and assured residents that he would do what he could to try to achieve a better outcome from that which was passed at the budget meeting. 

Stagecoach were the preferred bidder following a tender process but their tender, for a Monday to Friday daytime service exceeded the funding which had been allocated towards supporting a bus service to Kingswells. On 24th May the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee met to disburse funding to a number of transport related initiatives. This was from a fund made up from fines imposed on motorists who were caught in bus lanes outwith the permitted hours. There are restrictions on what these funds can be used for and supported bus services is one of many, alongside replacement bus shelters, core paths and improved bus priorities, cycle lanes and so forth.

Steve said, “With a record shortfall of £46.6 million the budget has been a difficult time affecting communities right across the city. Remaining the second lowest funded Council (per head of population) didn’t help either. Despite all of this I felt that the Kingswells bus was an absolute necessity and I put a strong case to colleagues. Still not content that a peak time only service would meet the basic needs of residents I have been on the case ever since. Stagecoach put out some news last week but I felt unable to comment, knowing it all depended on the approval of this additional funding.”

“The new service is not the same as what is currently in place. The route is different, some services will include Kingswells Park and Ride and the main entrance at ARI and there’s no evening service. The X14 will work well for the majority of residents but it will represent challenges for some people, especially shift workers. 

“I believe the best possible outcome was secured during what all of us will recognise as particularly challenging times”.

FAQ regarding the X14 service 

When does the service start?

12th June 2023

What happens now that the new service has been agreed?

The current 14 route (and timetable) continues unchanged until 9th June 

Why are there are fewer stops shown on the draft timetable?

These have been confirmed as ’timing points’ they do not represent a reduction in bus stops served within Kingswells.

Does the change to X14 mean it is a limited stop service?

No, it just means that it’s a more direct route into the city centre and will offer reduced journey times (at certain times of day). All bus stops on the new route will be served.

What changes have there been to the route?

The bus follows the existing route around the village down Old Lang Stracht, Lang Stracht and Westburn Road. Instead of turning right into Camperdown Road, it continues along Westburn Road to Hutcheon Street, Mounthooly and Gallowgate, terminating at Broad Street. It also has peak time pick ups and drop-offs at both the Kingswells Park and Ride and the entrance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Does the bus still go to Union Square?

No, for avoidance of doubt, it goes left at Littlejohn Street, right onto King Street, right onto Union Street and right onto Broad Street where it terminates. The bus then returns to Kingswells reversing the route used to get to the city centre.

What is the frequency

Roughly every 30 minutes at morning and afternoon peak and hourly at all other times but check the timetable for details.

Are the bus times the same ?

No. Please ensure you check the timetable  before you leave.

What time does the last bus run?

The last bus headinhgh fj Kingswells leaves Broad Street at 19.19

The last bus leaves Migvie Grove at 19.57

Is there a weekend service?

Unfortunately no. 

Where can I get a timetable

These should be available on the bus very soon. If there’s any extras I have asked that they be  dropped off at the Community Centre. They can also be downloaded from Stagecoach’s website.

Any further queries

Please send these to sdelaney@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

First Aberdeen is introducing Tap On Tap Off (TOTO) payment technology for the first time on 2nd April 2023. The move follows the successful introduction of the system in Glasgow in 2022, which has been well received for speed, ease of use and value.

This new payment technology will replace the existing Tap and Cap system in place in Aberdeen and will offer customers better value on their journeys as the most someone can spend on any number of journeys within a week will be £21.

The update comes as the transport operator is introducing new prices and ticketing options following a fares review. While savings can be made with the new TOTO system, the overhaul of First Aberdeen’s ticketing options will see fares increase by an average of 9%.

The TOTO contactless system guarantees customers ultimate flexibility on the fare paid. It analyses a customer’s travel movements and then calculates the lowest fare for the journey they have made. The system allows the customer to have peace of mind that they will always receive the cheapest Day or Week fare for the travel they have completed.

To access TOTO, a person uses their contactless card or mobile device to ‘tap on’ at the ticket machine next to the driver. At the end of their journey, they simply ‘tap off’ on the new card reader device, which have been installed to enable the journey to be accurately recorded and savings made.

More information can be found at firstaberdeen.com/fares

The waiting room at the Park & Ride was closed in March 2020 when the first lockdown commenced. It has not been re-opened since then. Up until that point, an informal arrangement had been in place to open and close the facility but that has now lapsed. With the colder/wetter weather now upon us there have been concerns raised with Steve by Kingswells Community Council and a number of members of the public.

With effect from 10 January 2022 the waiting room will be open from 6.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. This arrangement is subject to review once the council budget has been approved. On that basis it will operate until at least the start of April.

Steve said, “I’m pleased the waiting room is open once again. This will allow residents to keep warm and dry as they wait for their bus to work. It’s just a pity the cut off point is so early in the evening but the hours of operation should hopefully prove to be sufficient for most people on their outward journey at least. With the lighting recently having been adjusted across the Park & Ride to come on earlier and go off later, these measures will help towards enhancing personal safety”.

With effect from 26th April 2021 FirstAberdeen are to offer more flexibility on their ticketing options. They have recognised that weekly, monthly and three monthly bus passes may not work for some people as a result of changing working patterns with the working week split between home and office. This initiative will allow customers to purchase a number of individual day tickets in advance at a discounted price.

Flexible Travel Bundles are available in 5, 10 or 15 ticket options, offering a discount over the normal cost of purchasing a day ticket through the APP. These bundles are only available to purchase from the FirstBus APP with validity for 2, 4 or 6 weeks dependent on which bundle you purchase. They can be found under the Day Bundles section when selecting which ticket to purchase.

Full information can be found here.

Stagecoach has announced a number of their bus routes in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. These changes will affect the current X17 & No 14 routes as well as the less frequent 218 service.

With regard to routes 14 and 218, the frequency of these services is now returning to those which had operated prior to the pandemic but please check timetables as the timings may not be exactly the same. It’s also worth noting that the No 14 weekend service which was cut by Aberdeen’s Conservative, Labour and Independent councillors last year is not being restored, so that service will only operate Monday to Friday.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “The most significant change for our area is the decision to replace the X17 with three different services, the 4, 5 & 6. Heading to and from the City Centre you can catch one of these three services every 10 minutes (Mon-Sat). If you’re travelling to Westhill, you have a choice of the 5 or 6 (some services are numbered 6A) as the 4 goes to Countesswells. All three routes operate 7 days a week following the current Queens Road route into the city centre”.

The revised timetables should be updated at all bus stops in the next few days. Stagecoach have decided not to print copies of the new timetables but you can find the details for all these routes to view or download here.

First Aberdeen has announced new timetables commencing on 3rd August. This represents to gearing up of public transport operators to accommodate the forthcoming re-opening of our schools and the expected increase in passenger numbers as more people come off furlough, returning to work in the coming weeks.

All buses will continue to operate at reduced capacities to allow for social distancing, so passengers are still being asked to sit in window seats and keep a row of seats between themselves and other passengers. Where double deckers are in use, more able bodied passengers are asked to sit upstairs to leave downstairs seats free for those who may not manage the stairs.

As capacity is currently reduced on buses, passengers with smart phones are asked to download the First Bus or Stagecoach APP as this gives live departure times and displays the number of seats expected to be free when the bus reaches your stop. Passengers are also asked to allow extra time for their journey as they may not be able to board their intended bus and will have to wait for the next one, or even the one after that.

Passengers are reminded that face coverings are required and anyone not wearing one, who is not exempt from doing so, is liable to face a £100 fine. Although face coverings are not mandatory at bus stops, it is recommended that you wear one in enclosed spaces such as bus shelters and other places where it may not be possible to socially distance.

Please note that, although Stagecoach also has new timetables from 3rd August on some of its routes, no changes have been made to the Kingswells services.

New timetables from First Aberdeen can be found here.

A number of residents have raised concerns over the withdrawal of the No 14 bus service to Kingswells at the weekends. There is also been some confusion over previously announced changes to the X17 service which have not been progressed.

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Delaney said, “The No 14 service is funded by Aberdeen City Council and the ruling Tory, Labour and Independent coalition took the decision to axe these and other weekend services as part of their budget cuts on 3rd March. This was publicised at the time both online and in Focus but, with the passage of time and the fact most people were at home during the lockdown, many people had forgotten about it”.

“Although my Lib Dem colleagues and I opposed these changes at the time, the majority view won the day. Aberdeen City Council is the provider of last resort and they have taken a decision not to provide weekend bus services. I believe it is morally wrong to leave a whole community effectively cut off from the rest of the city at the weekends but I regret there is no possibility of reversing their decision at this point in time”.

“I have raised the community’s concerns with the council’s Public Transport Unit and they have responded as follows”.

Financial support for weekend services on the number 14 was withdrawn at the end of March 2020 following the budget decision to withdraw all weekend supported bus services.  During the period when Stagecoach were operating emergency timetables due to the COVID19 lockdown, they did maintain weekend services on the 14 but these have now been withdrawn. 

Funding has been put in place between Transport Scotland and bus operators to allow an increase in bus service provision across the Country.  The funding is intended to cover the anticipated loss of fare-paying passenger revenue that operators will experience due to physical distancing and reduced carrying capacity, while at the same time increasing service provision, to almost 80% immediately and then up to almost 100% by 3rd August. From the 29th June 2020 Stagecoach Bluebird are now operating around 80% of bus services that they would have been operating were it not for the coronavirus pandemic.  As such the service 14 timetable has had to be brought in line with what would be operating normally at this time which does not include weekend services.

The changes to the Westhill service with the X17 replaced by the 4, 5 and 6 were due to take place on 6th April but this was prevented by the lockdown situation and the emergency timetables that Stagecoach were required to introduce.   Stagecoach will continue to operate the X17 at the present time and any proposed timetable/service changes will be considered at a later point in time.

Following the Council’s decision to withdraw financial support for the weekend service, Officers did explore options with Stagecoach Bluebird to retain some level of service, but no viable solution could be found. This matter will of course always be reviewed as changes to the public transport network take place, but due to the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 on public transport an immediate solution is unlikely.

First Aberdeen and Stagecoach have both announced changes to the frequency of their services with effect from 29 June. This is being done to help accommodate the expected increase in passenger numbers due to the re-opening of some shops and other businesses from that date.

However, although the frequency of buses on each route will be increasing, passengers need to be aware that social distancing applies to bus travel so many of the seats will be cordoned off and the driver will not be permitted to allow you to board if the number of passengers has already reached its maximum capacity.

This means that passengers must allow extra time just in case they cannot get on the bus as a result of capacity issues and need to wait for the next bus. Passengers using the updated First Bus APP or Stagecoach APP will be able to see whether or not there is still capacity on the bus prior to it reaching your stop.

It should be noted that passengers are required to use face coverings when using public transport unless they are under 5 years of age or have a medical exemption. Passengers not wearing face coverings will not be permitted to board the bus.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “It’s good to see improved frequency of bus services but disappointing that restrictions which are necessary to minimise risk to the public will result in reduced capacity, especially at peak times. If your job can be done from home, current advice remains that this should continue at present”.

“Government guidelines still recommend you should avoid using public transport unless absolutely necessary. I would therefore suggest that people who are over 70 or have underlying health problems which put them at higher risk of complications if they catch covid-19, should use carefully weigh up the risks before deciding to travel by bus at this point in time”.

“Please note that though services have more or less returned to pre-lockdown frequencies, there may slight changes to actual timings, so please check out the latest timetables before travelling”.

Stagecoach timetables for Kingswells services can be found here.

First Aberdeen timetables are available for the 3, 13 & 23.

Aberdeen City Council is seeking people’s views on the Aberdeen Local Development Plan: Proposed Plan 2020. Amongst other things, this sets out locations for new homes, businesses and facilities and identifies areas for protection. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there will be no public meetings or drop-in sessions about the Proposed Plan 2020.

Comments on and objections to the Proposed Plan 2020 and the associated Delivery Programme and Environmental Report can be made online. These documents can be viewed on the council website.

You can complete the council’s online consultation here. The consultation closes on 31st August 2020.

First Aberdeen have confirmed that they will be revising their emergency timetables from Monday 19^th April until further notice to accommodate the current levels of demand during the COVID19 pandemic.  The changes being made incorporate feedback from key workers in order to provide the most suitable journeys to allow them to travel to their places of work.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “The changes in respect of the Nos 3, 13 and 23 are fairly minor during the week, other than the time of the last bus being 1-2 hours earlier dependent on the route. There are significant frequency reductions to the 13 route on Sundays and the last bus on all routes is 1-2 hours earlier as per the revised weekday timetables”.

“Although these are mostly minor timing changes during the week, please do check out the full timetables if you’re a key worker as a few minutes difference can result in a long wait on these reduced frequencies. Full details are available on the First Aberdeen website. 

Following the temporary closure of most local businesses, bus passenger numbers have fallen even further.

With effect from Monday 30 March there will be further reductions to the frequencies of all Stagecoach services. Their new Kingswells timetables can be found here.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “Last week I raised serious concerns about the X17 starting an hour later than usual and the 14 starting two hours later, as these times were unworkable for shift workers. I’m pleased to say the 14 is now starting an hour earlier than last week, though still too late for most key workers on early shifts”.

“These new timetables, which start on Monday, result in the first X17 arriving at the Park & Ride at 06.44 then operating on an hourly service. The first 14 leaves opposite the medical centre at 07.09 and operates on a two hourly frequency all day”.

Steve continued, “Given the temporary closure of most places of work, it was only to be expected that passenger numbers would fall further. However, those who do need to get to work to support the efforts of the NHS, the Police, the Council, our supermarkets and our key supply chains are going to be put under additional stress and further inconvenienced by these service reductions”.

“I continue to have concerns for residents who have no option but to use public transport as reduced frequencies may increase the risk of more people on each bus, making social distancing somewhat challenging and potentially increasing the chances of spreading the virus”

A link to the new timetables for all Stagecoach services across our area and beyond can be found here.

Following on from reductions in Stagecoach services earlier this week, FirstAberdeen has announced that its routes will operate on a Sunday services from Thursday 26 March 2020 until further notice.

Lib Dem councillor for Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill Steve Delaney said, “With all but workers in the NHS, the council, food stores and other key support and supply roles now in self isolation it had become inevitable that First’s services would be cut back”.

“Early morning services are to to commence at least an hour later and all services outwith the first few buses will run on a 30 minute frequency”.

“Everything has changed in the last 24 hours. For your own safety please do not travel on public transport unless you are a key worker or you require essential food shopping for yourself or others who are self isolating”.

Within our area the No 3 will start at 06.45, the 13 starts at 07.10 and the 23 starts at 06.40.

Full timetables for all First’s Aberdeen routes effective from 26 March 2020 can be found here

First’s Press Release is reprinted in full below.

First Aberdeen has announced that bus services will operate a revised Sunday timetable during the working week effective from Thursday, March 26^th 2020, with additional morning journeys added in to ensure it sustains services for those key workers and emergency service staff needing to make essential travel across the region.

The bus operator is committed to continuing services wherever possible so that those who need to make essential journeys, like health service and emergency workers, can continue to do so.

The announcement comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined strict new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus, including advice that people should leave home only to exercise once a day, travel to and from work where “absolutely necessary”, shop for essential items and to fulfil any medical or care needs.

Recent days have seen bus passenger numbers continue to reduce as people adhere to the government lockdown

This is reflected across other sectors, all of which have had to review and reduce their operations in view of the fast-moving coronavirus outbreak.

First has written to the Local Traffic Commissioner about its intentions as well as keeping the relevant local authorities and key stakeholders up to date. Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director of First Aberdeen, said: “With much of the UK effectively ordered to stay at home for at least the next few weeks, we have made the decision to move to a Sunday timetable to support those who still need to get to and from work and get out to shops and pharmacies, whilst fulfilling our own role as vital key workers during this time of national crisis.

“Just a few weeks ago it was almost inconceivable that these restrictions would be in place, which only underlines what a challenging, dynamic and rapidly evolving situation the UK faces, and one which First Aberdeen is monitoring and responding to day-by-day, hour-by-hour.

“It’s important to emphasise that we are in constant contact with stakeholders, including local authorities and ministers, and rest assured everything is being done to keep those key workers mobile as the nation comes together to limit the spread of coronavirus.

“We are doing everything possible to deploy staff across our operations with a view to minimising the impacts for everybody.

“Regular customers can be assured we will endeavour to get more frequent services back up and running as soon as the Government decides it is safe to do so.

“Please bear with us as given the fast-changing nature of the situation it will be difficult to keep all our communication channels updated with the latest information.”

The service information in the First Bus app for example, will not reflect updated timetables, so customers are advised to refer to the First Aberdeen website for the most up to date service information, travel advice and information about Coronavirus.

https://www.firstgroup.com/aberdeen/plan-journey/covid-19-update

Stagecoach have announced a reduction in frequency on all their services with effect from Monday. The X17 service is reduced to half-hourly and the council funded 14 reverts to a Sunday service 7 days a week. There are also changes to the 727 Aberdeen Airport service which can be found here.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “Passenger numbers across all bus routes have dropped dramatically in light of Government advice not to use public transport unless you have to, but many people have no choice”.

“These new timetables result in the first X17 arriving at the Park & Ride at 06.44 rather than 05.49. The changes to the 14 are even worse with the first bus opposite the medical centre leaving at 08.03 rather than the usual 06.03 which is going to prevent many residents from getting to work on time”.

Steve continued, “whilst I can fully understand that adjustments to timetables may be necessary if some of the drivers are having to self isolating, the later starting times leave many people unable to get to work”.

“In addition, the reduced frequency on the X17 is likely to result in more passengers on each bus, which makes social distancing somewhat challenging and increases the chances of spreading the virus. I am very concerned that Stagecoach have not thought this one through”

Current Kingswells timetables can be found here

New Kingswells/Westhill timetables can be found here.

Stagecoach’s Press Release is reprinted in full below.

Temporary changes to bus services in Aberdeenshire and Moray are being introduced by Stagecoach from Monday 23rd March following new government advice around social contact and non-essential travel to help combat the coronavirus.

A reduced timetable will operate across the region until further notice. The timetables have been carefully created to ensure that critical routes are maintained wherever possible.

The majority of bus services in Aberdeenshire and Moray will operate to a Sunday timetable with additional journeys in the mornings to allow those continuing to commute by bus to work can do so, 7 days a week. Discounted bus travel continues to be available for NHS staff commuting with Aberdeen zone 2 (zone 2 covers services in the city centre and to Balmedie, Westhill and Portlethen). The discounted 7-day bus ticket is available to purchase direct from any Stagecoach bus driver.

The reduction in service follows extensive action by bus operators to enhance cleaning regimes and protect the safety and well-being of customers and employees.

Peter Knight, Managing Director for Stagecoach Bluebird said: “Along with other bus operators and key sectors, we are working hard to support the national effort to tackle the current challenging situation.

“The safety of our customers and our employees is at the heart of everything we do and the vast majority of the workforce cannot work from home. We also know that our bus services play a vital role in keeping the country running and ensuring key sector personnel get to work.

“Following the latest government advice, we have reviewed our timetables and made temporary changes which reflect the reduced level of travel. Our objective has been to focus resources on where we know they are needed most at this time.

“We are working hard to best maintain essential services, safeguard jobs and ensure the long-term sustainability of a sector which is central to our economy and communities.

“I want to reassure all members of the community that Stagecoach Bluebird remains closely engaged with a number of local and national stakeholders to ensure that our services meet the needs of the communities that we proudly serve, in what is a dynamic situation.”

Since the impact of the coronavirus in the UK, Stagecoach has implemented additional hygiene measures to protect passengers, frontline bus workers and office-based staff.

In addition to well-established and rigorous cleaning regimes, there has been more frequent cleaning of main customer touch-points on buses, such as hand poles and grab rails.

Travel shops in Aberdeen, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Elgin and Inverness will also close until further notice.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “This announcement relates to all services travelling in and out of Aberdeen with the exception of the No 14 Kingswells service which is funded by Aberdeen City Council. There are currently no changes proposed for this service apart from the removal of the weekend service, as previously advised, from a yet unspecified date in April”.

Customers can stay up to date with all the latest news from Stagecoach on Twitter @StagecoachBBird or by signing up to their email mailing list, full details are available at stagecoachbus.com.

Transport Scotland have put forward a proposal to Aberdeen City Council to help resolve both safety concerns and excessive queueing at the Kingswells South junction of the AWPR. at peak times.

Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Delaney has been campaigning for intervention at this junction for the last year, following a number of accidents, occurring on an almost daily basis.

He said, “The solution put forward by Transport Scotland is for the junction to be fully signalised with traffic signals on the roundabout itself and the two slip roads”.

“Thankfully these will not operate on a fixed timed basis like the Kingswells roundabout but will instead be triggered by traffic volumes. They will be linked into the council’s intelligent traffic management system which monitors all other movements on surrounding routes with the aim of optimising the number of vehicles getting through the junction whilst ensuring public safety”.

These works are expected to commence in April and last for about six weeks.

Steve continued, “I had concerns about works clashing with the closure of the C128C Kingswells to Countesswells road, but have received assurances the intention is for the AWPR junction upgrade to be carried out during off-peak hours”.

“There are bound to be delays during these works but the aim is to keep these to the minimum. Given the high number of accidents over the past year or so, it’s vital the works are carried out as soon as possible”.

Stagecoach has announced a number of their bus routes in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. These changes will affect the current X17 route, the less frequent 218 service and the 747 airport service.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “”The most significant change for our area is the proposal to replace the X17 with three different services. Heading to and from the City Centre you can catch one of these three services every 10 minutes (Mon-Sat). If you’re travelling to Westhill, you have a choice of the 5 or 6 with four buses per hour (Mon-Fri). All three routes operate 7 days a week”.

“I am disappointed to say that the 747 which ran from Stonehaven to Aberdeen Airport via Kingswells Park & Ride is to be withdrawn after only a year of operation. As well as the airport connection, this service offered an easy connection to Stonehaven (and Montrose at certain times of day)”.

All three services will continue to use the Queens Road route followed by the current X17 service.

Only minor timetabling changes are proposed for the 218 but it’s still worth checking out if you use that service”

Stagecoach is claiming a 13 minute reduction in journey times from Kingswells Park & Ride to Aberdeen Bus Station. The proposed timetables can be found here.

PLEASE SEE SEPARATE ARTICLE ON CHANGES TO THE 14 ROUTE WHICH IS FUNDED BY ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL AND OPERATED BY STAGECOACH

Start Date and Time : 30 December 2019 18:00
End Date and Time : 01 January 2020 06:00

Location : Hogmanay

Description : In connection with the Aberdeen City Council Hogmanay Fireworks event 2019.

The temporary traffic management arrangements are shown in the schedule below,and will apply at the times indicated therein. Road Closures From 10:00 on 31 December 2019 to 06:00 on 1 January 2020

• Rosemont Viaduct, between its junctions with Union Terrace and Blackfriars Street

• Schoolhill, (westbound) between its junctions with Blackfriars Street and Back Wynd

• Belmont Street, between its junctions with Little Belmont Street and Schoolhill.

• Back Wynd, between its junctions with Little Belmont Street and Schoolhill

• Upperkirkgate, between its junctions with Schoolhill and Flourmill Lane From 1300 on 31 December 2019 to 0600 on 1 January 2020

• Blackfriars Street, for its entire length

• St Andrews Street, between its junctions with Blackfriars Street and Charlotte Street

• Schoolhill (eastbound), between its junction with Blackfriars Street and Back Wynd. From 1800 on 31 December 2019 to 0600 on 1 January 2020

• Harriett Street, between its junctions with Schoolhill and Loch Street From 2100 on 31 December 2019 to 0600 on 1 January 2020

• Rosemount Viaduct, between its junction with Skene Street and Union Terrace

• Union Terrace (Whole Length)

• Diamond Place (Whole Length) From 2200 on 31 December 2019 to 0600 on 1 January 2020

• Windmill Brae, for its entire length

• Windmill Lane, for its entire length

• Bath Street, for its entire length

• Bridge Place for its entire length

• Belmont Street, between its junctions with Little Belmont Street and Union Street

• Little Belmont Street for its entire length

• Back Wynd, between its junctions with Little Belmont Street and Union Street

• Gaelic Lane for its entire length From 2330 on 31 December 2019 to 0045 on 1 January 2020

• Union Street, between its junctions with Crown Street and Market Street EXCEPT for buses travelling from Guild Street/ College Street via Bridge Street to Union Street – left turn only onto Union Street. Buses travelling in other direction to turn right onto Crown Street (see below for revocation)

• Bridge Street from its junction with Wapping Street to Union Street EXCEPT for buses travelling from Guild Street/ College Street via Bridge Street to Union Street – left turn only onto Union Street.

• Diamond Street, between its junctions with Diamond Lane and Union Street From 2350 on 31 December 2019 to 0030 on 1 January 2020

• Denburn Road (both directions, whole length). This will be facilitated with a mobile road closure by ACC Road Services Temporary One-Way system, From 10:00 until 22:00 on 31 December 2019 Little Belmont Street, Aberdeen, travelling eastbound, for taxi’s only. Temporary suspension of One-Way system, From 13:00 until 22:00 on 31 December 2019 St Catherine’s Wynd, Aberdeen, Temporary suspensions of turning bans From 10:00 on 31 December 2019 to 06:00 on 1 January 2020 Skene Street, Aberdeen, into Rosemount Viaduct (right turn), for buses only From 23:30 on 31 December 2019 to 00:45 on 1 January 2020 Union Street, Aberdeen, into Crown Street (right turn) Holburn Street, Aberdeen, into Willowbank Road (right turn), for buses only Temporary suspensions of no entry From 13:00 until 22:00 on 31 December 2019 Union Street, Aberdeen, into Belmont Street for taxi’s and delivery vehicles only. Parking Restrictions From 18:00 on 30 December 2019 to 06:00 on 1 January 2020

• Diamond Street, Aberdeen, on either side, between Union Street and Ruby Lane.

• Bridge Street, Aberdeen, on either side, between its junctions with Union Street and Wapping Street.

• Union Terrace, Aberdeen, on either side, between its junctions with Union Street and Rosemount Viaduct.

• Schoolhill, Aberdeen, on either side, between its junctions with Back Wynd and Rosemount Viaduct including (Pocket Park)

• Little Belmont Street, Aberdeen, on either side, between its junctions with Belmont Street and Back Wynd

Alternate Route : Alternative routes shall be available during the closures.

A number of concerns were raised earlier this year in respect of getting on and off the AWPR/A944 at the Kingswells South junction safely at peak times and also of lengthy queues.

Liberal Democrat Infrastructure Spokesman and local councillor Steve Delaney raised these concerns inito be told initially that a full evaluation would be undertaken after 12 months looking at various factors including accident statistics.

Steve said, “This really concerned me as it seemed like Transport Scotland were going to sitting back for 12 months waiting for accidents to happen. Even then, an assessment of the statistics and any recommendations arising from these would likely have taken a few months more. to agree, never mind to implement

After pursuing matters further Steve was given assurances that the situation as reported was “most certainly understood”, being “closely monitored” by their technical advisers and “should the monitoring indicate that enhancements to the junction are required, then these will be considered accordingly”. 

He has been in regular contact with council officers and Aberdeen Roads Ltd since then and can confirm there is now a recognition by Transport Scotland that an engineering solution is required in order to reduce queueing at peak times.

Steve said, “There is hardly a week that goes by without a constituent contacting me about either an accident or a near miss. Despite this, Transport Scotland appear to be in no hurry to address the issue.

“My understanding is that a report is to come to committee early next year outlining firm proposals on how to improve safety at the junction. I just hope it’s not too little, too late by then.

“Please rest assured I will continue to press for a solution to be taken forward an, more importantly, implemented as soon as possible”.

Start Date and Time : 08 April 2019 07:00
End Date and Time : 22 April 2019 18:00

Location : Brodiach Road

Description : The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:00 on 8 April, 2019, until 18:00 on 22 April, 2019, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Brodiach Road, Aberdeen, between its junction with the A944 Skene Road and the city boundary at Brodiach Burn.

Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during carriageway surfacing works.

Any queries regarding this restriction can be directed to Aberdeen City Council Roads Maintenance team on 03000 200292, or response@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, Westhill Drive, and Westhill Road.

Start Date and Time : 08 April 2019 07:00 
End Date and Time : 18 April 2019 22:00 

Location : Brodiach Road

Description : The effect of the order, which will operate from 07:00 on 8 April, 2019, until 22:00 on 18 April, 2019, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Brodiach Road, Aberdeen, between its junction with the A944 Skene Road and the city boundary at Brodiach Burn.

Access to properties will be maintained, but no through traffic will be possible.

The measures are necessary to protect public safety during carriageway surfacing works.

Any queries regarding this restriction can be directed to Aberdeen City Council Roads Maintenance team on 03000 200292, or response@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the A944 Skene Road, Westhill Drive, and Westhill Road. 

The Thistle Assistance Card is the size of a credit card and can fit into the wallet of anyone who might need extra help when travelling about on public transport. 

It is supported by all seven Regional Transport Partnerships in Scotland, Transport Scotland, many transport operators and disability groups including RNIB, SATA and Disability Equality Scotland.

The card, and its associated App, are supported by a wide variety of voluntary organisations across Scotland and by most bus, train, tram, ferry and airport operators. It is credit-card sized and comes with a supply of peel-off stickers, which advise the driver or conductor of your disability and the help you need in an easy-to-read format.

The App is downloadable for both Apple and Android enabled devices from Apple App Store and Play Store.

This card has a series of stickers to attach to the card and personalise the information so that it can be shown to the bus driver to make them aware. The stickers illustrate needs such as mobility hearing and sight challenges. There are then further stickers showing that the passenger may need more time to get to their seat or a reminder of when they get to their destination. There is also space on the back of the card for information such as phone number of the family or carer.

If you would like to find out more information about Thistle Assistance Card you can visit the SEStran website, e-mail thistlecard@sestran.gov.uk or call 0131 524 5153.

Stagecoach have launched two new services which offer half hourly connections to Aberdeen Airport from Kingswells Park & Ride 7 days a week.

The 747 and 757 serve a number of locations on the AWPR including Montrose, Stonehaven, Kingswells Park & Ride and Ellon.

Service 747 offers a new link across Aberdeenshire and Angus. The new service will replace services 107 and current 747 and operates hourly throughout most of the day between Montrose and Ellon using the AWPR.

The service will operate from Montrose to Stonehaven before serving Kingswells Park & Ride and Aberdeen Airport. The service will then continue to Ellon and some journeys extend to Cruden Bay and Peterhead.

Service 757 provides a direct link to the airport from Portlethen and Newtonhill. The 757 service operates hourly throughout most of the day, 7 days a week, and will also stop at Kingswells Park & Ride.

Kingswells Park and Ride will benefit from both of the new bus services and, as a result, journeys from the popular Park & Ride site to the airport will be available by bus up to every 30 minutes, 7 days a week.

Both services will be operated by low-floor easy access buses fitted with the latest tracking technology as well as the ability to accept contactless payments.

A discounted ticket is currently available on the 747 and 757 to celebrate the start of the new services. Customers will be able to travel all day on either service for £6 when they buy their ticket on the Stagecoach mobile app.

This ticket is valid on the full route for services 747/757 from Peterhead to Montrose and offers customers over 60% saving.

For the shorter journeys such as Kingswells Park and Ride to Aberdeen Airport daily travel is available for £3.70.

Local councillor Steve Delaney, who attended the launch event earlier this week at Aberdeen Airport, said, “I must commend Stagecoach for this initiative which clearly demonstrates that the bus can offer a fast, reliable, cost effective alternative means of transport.

“The new route incorporates also stops at Bristows Heliport and Kirkhill Industial Estate at peak times, making it much easier for people to get to and from work quickly instead of having to make a lengthy and tortuous journey on two buses.

“It also opens up the opportunity for a day out in Stonehaven, Montrose, Ellon or Cruden Bay from Kingswells Park & Ride with buses leaving every hour.

“Last but not least is the 30 minute airport service which offers people living in Kingswells and indeed the wider area, the opportunity to leave their car at the Park & Ride and hop on a bus to the airport”.

Timetables for service 747 and 757 are now available to download at stagecoachbus.com. 

Printed copies will soon be available to pick up in Aberdeen bus station, Kingswells P&R, Ellon P&R, Peterhead Interchange and Aberdeen Airport.

Following on from an earlier announcement, Stagecoach have now finalised their plans for bus services which will make use of the AWPR offering faster connections between Montrose and Ellon, using Kingswells Park & Ride, including stops at Aberdeen Airport and Kirkhill Industrial Estate,

Their full press release is reprinted below.

·        Bus services will make use of the new AWPR from 21st January 2019
·        Customer feedback shapes additional new route – service 757
·        Hourly connections from Ellon and Stonehaven to Aberdeen Airport
·        Half hourly connections from Kingswells P&R to Aberdeen Airport

Stagecoach North Scotland today confirmed two new bus services will begin operation on Monday 21st January using the AWPR improving journey times for those choosing to travel by bus.

Following the public timetable consultation in September 2018, the local bus operator has reviewed all feedback received and has finalised plans for the first bus services to operate on the AWPR.

Service 747 will be introduced on Monday 21st January offering a new link across Aberdeenshire and Angus. The new service will replace services 107 and current 747 and will operate an hourly frequency throughout most of the day between Montrose and Ellon using the AWPR. The service will operate from Montrose to Stonehaven before serving Kingswells Park and Ride and Aberdeen Airport. The service will then continue to Ellon and some journeys will also extend to Cruden Bay and Peterhead.

Service 757 will be introduced from the same date providing a direct link to the airport from Portlethen and Newtonhill. Residents in Portlethen and Newtonhill provided feedback in the timetable consultation requesting if a service could be introduced to the airport rather than connecting to 747 in Stonehaven. On reviewing the feedback Stagecoach has been able to introduce service 757 shaped by the feedback received from these communities. The 757 service will operate up to every hour 7 days a week to the airport and will also stop at Kingswells P&R.

Kingswells Park and Ride will benefit from both of the new bus services and as a result journeys from the popular Park and Ride site to the airport will be available by bus up to every 30 minutes, 7 days a week.

Both services will be operated by low-floor easy access buses fitted with the latest tracking technology as well as the ability to accept contactless payments.

The award-winning JET service 727 connecting the city centre to the airport up to every 10 minutes will continue to the current timetable.

David Liston, Managing Director, Stagecoach North Scotland said: “We are delighted to be able to start the new year by introducing two new services to our Aberdeenshire network. In our autumn timetable consultation we received a lot of support for the new service 747 providing a direct bus connection to the airport. On reviewing consultation feedback from residents in Newtonhill and Portlethen we have been able to identify a solution that means these communities will also be connected to the airport from 21st January. We look forward to welcoming both old and new customers on board our new services later this month.”

From Monday 21st January services 50, 54, 60, 61, 63 and 81are subject to revision in the Buchan Travel Guide. These revisions are minor with only some early morning journeys being re-timed and additional journeys on service 50 to accommodate the route revision on service 747 in the Buchan area.

Timetables for service 747 and 757 are now available to download online and printed copies will soon be available to pick up in Aberdeen bus station, Kingswells P&R, Ellon P&R, Peterhead Interchange and Aberdeen Airport.

From 19 November a new timetable comes into play for the No 14 bus route from Kingswells to the city centre. These long awaited changes are designed to improve reliability on what has, to date, been a very poorly performing service. It had been intended for the changes to come in from 12 November but this will now be implemented a week later than originally envisaged

However, from 12 November to 6 January, Broad Street and Upperkirkgate will be closed for the Winter Village and all bus routes will be diverted. As a result, the 14 will operate via Union Square bus station instead. The council has given assurances that the expected improvements in reliability based on the new timetable operating from 19 November will not be affected.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “The need to alter this route once again, this time using a different diversion, is unhelpful for residents who just want to know how best to get to and from their destination without concerning themselves about what else is going on in the city centre. People want an easy life without constant disruption”.

“Everyone knows my view that Broad Street should be fully pedestrianised on the grounds of public safety and also to improve the pedestrian experience for everyone visiting the area. Lengthy enforced closures such as this merely reinforce that view from a different perspective with regard to confusion and inconvenience to the travelling public”.

“Surely it would make more sense to devise permanent routes which avoid Broad Street in the first place and do not require diversions during the time major events are being held in the city centre”.

A  new bus stop is to be put in place heading north bound close to the junction of Kingswood Drive and Kingswells Drive. Currently there is no bus stop between Broaddykes and the Health Centre as a result of numerous changes to bus routes which saw Kingswells Drive cut out of the route.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I’m delighted the council has agreed to put in place an additional bus stop near the shops to replace the redundant stop at the top of Kingswells Drive. This has been requested by a number of residents, especially people living in Kingswood Mews as well as people looking to stop off at the Village Centre on their way home”.

The new Stagecoach No 14 service from Kingswells to Aberdeen City Centre picks up its first passengers at 6am on Monday 30th April.

The service follows the existing route through Kingswells before heading down Lang Stracht, Westburn Road and on to the city centre. It operates a 30 minute morning and evening peak time service with hourly buses off-peak and in the evenings.

Timetables are now available in the Park & Ride waiting room and Kingswells Community Centre and it is hoped they will also be available from other local outlets. The timetable can also be downloaded here.

Stagecoach will be holding a photocall at the bus stop on Kingswells Drive opposite Coldstone Avenue at 3.30pm this coming Monday to mark the launch of the new service. They will also be out and about in Kingswells on Monday morning promoting the new service with some free giveaways. There will be ongoing promotion of the service.

Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney said, “Today represents a welcome step forward for Kingswells with a new Council funded service which serves the village and goes directly into the city centre six days a week”.

“What’s most important to people is that this new service is reliable and runs to time. I would like to thank all councillors for their backing of this initiative, I wish Stagecoach well with this new route and would encourage local people to make good use of it”.

“I’ll be out and about in Kingswells on Monday and I intend joining Stagecoach for their launch event at 3.30pm. Please come along and join me if you can. It is important that as many of us as possible come along to welcome this new route, a service we all fought hard for. Now it’s up to us all to help make it a success and to encourage other residents to give it a try”.

Please let your friends and neighbours know about Monday’s photocall as not everyone is online and it would be great to see a good turnout.

The timetable for the new No 14 bus service from Kingswells to Aberdeen City Centre has been approved by the Scottish Traffic Commissioner. The service will replace the No 94 with the No 94 returning to its previous ARI to Aberdeen Crematorium route. The No 14, which will be operated by Stagecoach, starts on 30th April 2018. The finalised timetable can be found below.

A downloadable printable timetable which also includes Stagecoach’s 218 and X17 services can be found here.

As we approach the first anniversary of the withdrawal of FirstAberdeen from Kingswells, a dedicated Kingswells to City Centre route is about to launch.

Last September Aberdeen City Council agreed to put the service out to tender and, as a result, the proposed service, which will be operated by Stagecoach, is set to commence on 30 April 2018 (subject to registration with the Scottish Traffic Commissioner).

No longer will the typical commute to work take up to three hours a day and no longer should people have to wait well in excess of an hour for a bus outwith peak times. However, the peak morning and afternoon services have been reduced from the 15 minute service offered by the shuttle bus to a 30 minute service. Passengers will be able to board and alight at any bus stop on the route, unlike the current limited stop service which operates to ARI.

The proposed route through the village follows that of the existing No 94 which will cease from that date. The new service will offer a direct route via Lang Stracht and Westburn Road to the City Centre.

The proposed route is as follows:-

Kingswells – City Centre

Kingswood Drive, Kingswells Crescent, C98C Chapel of Stoneywood, Kingswood Drive, Fairley Road, Old Lang Stracht, Westburn Road, Camperdown Road, Mid Stocket Road, Westfield Road, Craigie Loanings, Albert Street, Rubislaw Place, Alford Place, Union Street, Union Terrace, Rosemount Viaduct, Schoolhill, Upperkirkgate

City Centre – Kingswells

Upperkirkgate, Broad Street, Union Street, Alford Place, Rubislaw Place, Waverly Place, Albert Street, Craigie Loanings, Westfield Road, Mid Stocket Road, Harcourt Road, Westburn Road, Lang Stracht, Old Lang Stracht, Fairley Road, Kingswood Drive

The new service will not stop at the Park & Ride nor is intended to visit the bus interchange at ARI, instead stopping on Westburn Road. Anyone wishing to connect with the X17 will have to get off the bus at the top of Fairley Road and walk to the Park & Ride from there, or walk down Fairley Road to catch it on the A944 beside Kingswells Church. The new service has been contracted for two years and will be subject to regular monitoring.

The route will charge standard Stagecoach fares and Stagecoach season tickets can used on the service. This route is supported financially by Aberdeen City Council.

The new service will operate from 06.00 – 23.00 Monday to Saturday on a 30 minute peak time service and hourly off-peak. There will be no Sunday service. The same route will be used at all times of day, unlike the current service which operates a different evening route.

Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney, who campaigned alongside local residents for a replacement service said, “I am pleased to see this come to fruition but angry it has dragged on for so long. If councillors had accepted my original proposal to go to tender in March 2017 we would have seen a Kingswells to City Centre service up and running many months ago.

“Although I was more than happy to make the case with the council (and missed no opportunity to do so), the withdrawal of the X40 galvanised our community in Kingswells, both bus users and non-bus users, as everyone came together to support those who needed public transport to get to work, school, further education, health appointments and leisure activities.

“Without such a well organised grass roots campaign, I fear we may not have seen the shuttle bus replaced. Nothing outshines the real sense of community when people come together to look out for their neighbours and everyone who was involved in the campaign should take pride in the fact we once again have a bus service connecting Kingswells to the City Centre.

“The proposed service is an improvement on the No 94 in many respects, but there are some downsides. I would certainly have liked to have seen a more frequent early morning service and the provision of a Sunday service.

Timetables for the new service will soon be available from the Park & Ride waiting room and Kingswells Community Centre. They will also be put in place at bus stops throughout Kingswells shortly before the new service starts.

Aberdeenshire Council has decided to withdraw funding from a number of supported bus services across their area which are run by Stagecoach.

As a result, it is proposed that the 220, which currently serves Kingswells with eight buses a day running to ARI, be withdrawn.

In addition, the Sunday evening frequency on the x17 is set to reduce from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

These changes will take effect from 7th May 2018.

Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney said, “I contacted Stagecoach for clarification following the appearance of a front page article in the P&J on Wednesday. They have confirmed these are the only changes which will affect Kingswells”.

“Although the 220 only offered an off-peak Monday to Friday service, it will certainly be missed by those who used it to attend hospital appointments”.

“Unfortunately this decision was taken by Aberdeenshire Council, whose interests do not include the Kingswells area, so there is no real prospect of persuading them to think again”.

Aberdeen City Council has taken the decision to proceed with the “part pedestrianisation” of Broad Street despite strong opposition from people with sight and hearing loss and limited mobility, who had raised safety concerns.

The decision to proceed a shared surface for usd by pedestrians, buses and cyclists was taken by 23 votes to 22. Aberdeen’s Lib Dem Group had their dissent to this decision noted.

Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney had put forward a proposal to remove buses from Broad Street and to create a separate cycle route through the site.

Steve said, “I’m very disappointed that though Labour, Conservative and Independent councillors heard the safety arguments, they failed to listen to them. Unfortunately two Labour councillors who had previously spoken out publicly in favour of full pedestrianisation went on to vote along party lines.”

“Aberdeen’s coalition seem to be wedded to the idea that their way is the only way and I see this as a missed opportunity to have made Broad Street a safe, friendly and accessible space for everyone”. ”

“Although I highlighted particular safety concerns for people with disabilities, I was also of the view that mixing vehicles and pedestrians on a level surface with no kerbs or pedestrian crossings was both unpleasant and unsafe for all pedestrians”.

“If you’ve ever visited one of these areas you will be well aware you can never relax and as you’re constantly having to look out for vehicles. It’s really not a pleasant experience and not one I wanted to see us inflict on both residents and visitors to Aberdeen”.

“I felt that the voices of disabled people were drowned out by those of the private bus companies, regardless of the fact their scare stories of major disruption due to re-routine have not materialised. Whatever happened to adopting a safety first approach?”

“I would like to thank members of the public for contacting their councillors. I truly believe that without their intervention we would not have seen the late concession from the coalition to undertake a review after 6, then 12 months of operation. I sincerely hope there are no incidents before then. Clearly this matter will be re-visited and I hope that common sense prevails at that time”.

Members of the public highlighted a number of key points in their communications to councillors. These links can be found below.

Three year old Clinton Pringle sadly lost his life last year after being struck by a bus on a shared surface in Jersey.

Preston’s Fishergate had become a “no go” area for blind and partially sighted citizens resulting in changes being needed.

Guide Dogs initiated a judicial review against Kensington & Chelsea Council’s proposals for a shared surface in Exhibition Road, London in 2010. In that instance, the council agreed to amend the proposals to address the concerns of blind and partially sighted people.

Northumberland County Council scrapped a proposed shared surface in Stobhill, Morpeth following safety concerns.

There have been a number of accidents in Manners Street, Wellington, New Zealand after buses were allowed into a pedestrianised area.

This video illustrates some of the difficulties guide dog owners have experienced in Poynton, Cheshire following the opening of a shared surface in the village centre.

This short video shows a bus with an annoying warning sound passing through Boston in Lincolnshire, only to be followed by another just five minutes later.

Further to the update in the February edition of Kingswells News a number of residents have been in touch wondering what’s going on regarding the future provision of bus services. Dates have slipped slightly but the process is back on track and the proposed start date remains as 2nd April 2018.

The deadline for submission of tenders was Friday 2nd March with the content of those tenders to be evaluated shortly afterwards, so in effect there is nothing more to report regarding the outcome and a further update will be issued as soon as the outcome is known.

The awarding of a tender is of course dependent upon the tender being within the allocated budgetary provision and being in compliance with the service specification outlined in the tender document. The further complication is that Aberdeen City Council is considering its annual budget on Tuesday 6th March.

Adequate provision for the service at the previously agreed budgetary level has been incorporated into the report to councillors. The danger, as with all budgetary matters, is whether or not it remains intact in the budget which gets passed by the council. On the bass that this was unanimously agreed on 20th September 2017, the likelihood of political shenanigans are minimal, but cannot be discounted.

Following on from that, subject to the budgetary provision being agreed, the bids will be evaluated and, subject to there being a successful bidder, the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland will be asked to fast track the registration of the new service. In the past she has been willing to do so, given the unusual situation currently prevailing in Kingswells.

Kingswells Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney said, “This process has taken longer than it needed to. If councillors had agreed to go to tender on 9th March 2017 as I had requested, the new service would have been up and running months ago.”

“We are where we are and I’m hopeful all the pieces of the jigsaw will slot together and Kingswells residents will be able to benefit from a new regular reliable service into the city centre.”

“As a result of this process taking so long to progress there has understandably been much anxiety within the community. A number of valid questions have been raised and I will attempt to answer these below”.

Questions about the new Kingswells bus service

Q. The 94 contract was set up for 12 months and should cease on or around 2nd April 2018. If there’s a delay in implementing a new service will wee end up with no buses at all?

A. The council has the option to extend or curtail the contract. My expectation is that the current contract would continue until such times as a new service was put in place.

Q. When will residents be consulted on the new route and the details of what is on offer?

A. There are no plans for further consultation. Drop in sessions were held on 12th and 15th October 2016 and a public meeting was held on 2nd March 2017. These were well attended and everyone’s feedback was collected from these events and used, as far as was possible, in the design of the new bus service.

Q. Which route will be used?

A. The tender specifies Lang Stracht as the preferred route. However, it is preferred not set in stone. There is provision for other routes to be considered and these will be assessed against a number of set criteria.

Q. What happens if no tenders are received or the amount of subsidy requested by bus companies to support the service is in excess of the available budget?

A. The matter is referred back to committee and nothing can be progressed until a decision is taken.

Q. What happens if the supported bus services budget is cut in the budget on 6th March 2018?

A. Kingswells is the top priority for allocation of this budget but what actually happens depends very much on the size of any cut and the matter would likely need to go back to committee for a decision.

Q. Is the continuation of a shuttle bus feeding the Park & Ride one of the possibilities?

A. The tender calls for an operator to offer a service which goes directly to the city centre. There is no requirement to call at the Park & Ride.

Q. What is the most likely outcome of a successful bid?

A. The extension of an existing route by one of the bus companies to include Kingswells rather than a standalone service.

Q. What frequency of service can we expect?

A. Committee approved that we tender for a 30 minute peak time service daytime, hourly service off-peak and evenings Monday to Saturday with an hourly service on Sundays. The hours of operation approved by committee was between 06:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and between 08:00 to 22:00 on Sundays. What comes by from the tenders is anyone’s guess, but that was the minimum specifications set out by committee.

Steve said, “Please rest assured another update will be issued as soon as matters become clearer. This will not happen immediately after the budget as much work remains on assessing the bids, routes and timetables offered and registering the agreed route.”

“I have Focus deliveries geared up to go out soon after a the details are finalised so that every household in Kingswells is informed as soon as possible”.

Kingswells residents are quite rightly raising concerns over delays to the introduction of a new bus service.

The current shuttle bus works for some people but not for others, dependent on where they need to go and when. Even when someone is able to use the service, journey times are laboriously long, often requiring three buses to reach their destination. Matters are further compounded with late running buses (both Central Coaches and Stagecoach), overcrowded Stagecoach buses and missed connections.

The report to councillors in September read as follows, “It is considered that a service should be supported with a 30 minute peak time service daytime, a minimum hourly service off-peak and in the evenings between 06:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and an hourly service on Sundays, between 08:00 to 22:00. It is recommended where possible for any service to travel via Lang Stracht and Westburn Road as the feedback from the community has highlighted the importance of this link; however when doing so consideration would have to be given to the availability of funding”.

It was agreed at that meeting that a service running 7 days a week be put out to tender with an indicative timescale for tenders to go out in October and the new service to commence in January. For various reasons this has not progressed, but matters are now in hand.

Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney said, “I discussed matters further with officers just before the Christmas break and can advise as follows. The preparatory work for issuing tenders has now been completed. Tenders will be issued in January and the outcome should be known in the second half of February. The current target commencement date for a new service to commence is 1st April 2018”.

“In March 2017 I put forward a proposal to go out to tender for this service immediately with the shuttle bus running on a month to month basis pending completion of the process. That was rejected in favour of a temporary shuttle bus service which was to run for up to one year. It took until September to get a decision to progress what was originally suggested in March and we’re still no further forward”.

“By the time this matter is resolved, Kingswells residents will indeed have been without a decent bus service for a year. This was totally unnecessary and remains unacceptable. Please rest assured I will continue to work with others to ensure this matter is resolved as soon as possible”.

Stagecoach is inviting customers across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to provide feedback on new bus timetable proposals to commence 8th January 2017. Please see below for meeting dates/times. Apologies but this information only arrived on Sunday and the meeting is on Wednesday. Their press release (in as far as it affects Kingswells) is reprinted below.

The local bus operator has continued to assess and review the network, looking at the punctuality, reliability and usage of the routes particularly during the busy morning and afternoon peak periods. The operator has also been looking at opportunities to improve the services and connections that are offered by the bus services using the feedback received from its customers. The company is encouraging customers to have a look at the proposals and share their thoughts, whether in support of the revisions or by highlighting any concerns.

There is a revised routing proposed in Westhill for Service X17 to provide a two-way route that will also incorporate Broadshades. This will help to improve reliability of the service for those in Westhill connecting to Westhill Shopping Centre as well as improving the connections to Prime Four, and Aberdeen city centre. In addition, service 220 will connect to Kirkton of Skene from Westhill.

Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director, Stagecoach North Scotland said: “Following constructive customer feedback in our March 2017 timetable consultation we have again released our plans for 2018 timetables ahead of finalising for registration.

“We’re asking our customers and indeed prospective customers to let us know what they think, so we can take any comments on board before we finalise our plans.

“The changes we have seen across the whole of Scotland with declining passenger numbers is linked to a range of issues, such as the decline in the economy and the cost of motoring, which is the biggest competitor to a bus service, also becoming relatively cheaper. The increase in online shopping, more attractive car finance deals and a wider range of flexible working patterns are all having an impact on our services. So we have had to consider some changes to reflect the current levels of usage, just like any other business.”

“Customer feedback earlier this year was very helpful to us in making sure our services operated when and where people need them most. Our proposals are seeking to ensure that we operate reliably, as well as provide people with simpler and more direct journeys to their destinations to make sure that the bus provides an attractive option for people. There are a number of improvements that we are proposing and I am looking forward to seeing what our customers say about these proposals.”

In addition, the company is holding consultation events in the area giving customers the opportunity to speak to local staff about the proposals. Events are planned to take place from 6th to 13th November throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Monday 6th November – Aberdeen bus station, 3pm – 8pm
Tuesday 7th November – Inverurie Morrisons, 3pm – 8pm
Wednesday 8th November – Kingswells Park and Ride
Wednesday 8th November – Portlethen Asda, 3pm – 8pm
Thursday 9th November – Westhill Interchange, 6am – 8.30am
Thursday 9th November – Stonehaven Market Sq, 3pm – 8pm
Friday 10th November – Banchory Bellfield, 3pm – 8pm
Monday 13th November – Ellon Park and Ride, 7am – 11.30am

At the events customers will be able to pass on their feedback and gain answers to any questions regarding the proposals.

The proposed timetables and network maps are now available to view at stagecoachbus.com, all feedback is welcomed to nscotmarketing@stagecoachbus.com. All feedback received by 17th November will be considered ahead of plans being finalised.

Summary of the proposed Temporary Traffic Regulation Order for Cathodic Protection Works

Taking place over two weekends

from 07:00 on 18 November 2017 until 19:00 on 19 November 2017

Restriction: Prohibition of driving on the C128C Cults-Kingshill, Aberdeen, between its junctions with the C127C Blacktop Road, and the A944 Skene Road.

Alternative Route: via Countesswells Road, Springfield Road, Queen’s Road, and Skene Road.

Access to residence will be maintained.

All residence south of the closure will be required to access their dwellings via Blacktop Road.

The contractors have advised Cathodic Protection Works will take place at the two blue points on the map :

The first set of works will at the point in the road next to Kingshill Cottage.
Followed by the second set of works at the point in the road next to Newton of Countesswells and The Steading at Newton of Countesswells .

Citizens Advice Scotland has launched a national survey to find out peoples’ views on the quality and reliability of Scotland’s bus services.

Lib Dem councillor for Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill, Steve Delaney, said, “This initiative by Citizens Advice Scotland is very welcome, especially at a time when commercial bus services to Kingswells have been axed. I would encourage everyone to have their say, even residents outwith Kingswells as it’s all about the quality of service on our local buses. I have reprinted their press release with links to the survey below”.

The survey is available online at www.cas.org.uk/betterbuses. It is open to anyone based in Scotland and will run until Sunday 22 October.

Launching the new survey today, CAS spokesperson Ruth Mendel says,

“As Scotland’s consumer champion we want to find out how bus users feel about the services they use, so we can fight on their behalf for improvements.

“Although over 75% of all public transport journeys are made by bus, the views of bus passengers have often been under-represented in policy making. CAS wants to ensure these consumers’ voices are heard through this survey.

“The aim of this campaign is to get better buses for Scots. In order to do this we need to ask people what matters to them when traveling by bus, and that’s what the survey is all about.

“We know from our previous research that often people can’t get to where they want to go by bus, and that some essential journeys cost too much or take too long. It’s important that these stories are heard so that the people making the decisions can make the right ones.

“We are hoping this survey will be the biggest of its kind in Scotland, and we urge every bus user in Scotland to complete the survey so we can fight for better services.”

People have from now until 22nd October to complete the survey. You can find it online at www.cas.org.uk/betterbuses. #betterbuses. Or contact your local CAB for a paper copy.

In an unexpected turn of events, following a delay in issuing the papers for consideration of the Kingsford Stadium proposals, the application has been withdrawn from the agenda for next Wednesday’s Council meeting. The statement issued reads as follows:-

A spokesperson for Aberdeen City Council said: “We can confirm that item 9(h), in relation to the application for planning consent for proposed community and sports facilities at West Kingsford, has been withdrawn from the agenda for the meeting of full Council on 11 October 2017 at the request of the applicant, Aberdeen Football Club.

“Having regard to the nature of the application and the associated complexities, and in light of the public interest, the Planning Authority has acceded to the request on this occasion.

“The request has been made to enable the applicant to seek further discussions and clarification to take place with the Planning Authority. If necessary, further planning consultation will follow.”

Kingswells, Sheddocksley, Summerhill councillor Steve Delaney said, “It is currently unclear what will happen next or indeed what timescales are involved”.

“As this is still a live planning application, it remains the case that councillors are not permitted to either express a view or discuss the merits of the application prior to it coming before the Council for determination”.

Start Date and Time : 29 October 2017 09:00
End Date and Time : 29 October 2017 18:00

Location : Kingswood Drive

Description : Aberdeen City Council has made the above-named order in terms of its powers under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of the order, which will operate from 09:00 until 18:00 on 29 October, 2017, is to impose a temporary prohibition of driving on Kingswood Drive, Aberdeen, between its junction with Kingswood Road and its eastern junction with Broaddykes Drive. The measures are necessary to protect public safety during ironwork repairs being carried out by Scottish Water.

Alternate Route : An alternative route is available via the C89C Chapel of Stoneywood-Fairley Road.

This week has been particularly challenging for Kingswells residents who rely on the X17 to get to work, with major holdups being experienced in the morning peak on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As a result, a large number of people arrived at work late on these days. Added to this is the long running issue regarding a lack of capacity on buses from mid afternoon onwards heading back from the city centre, often resulting in people being unable to board and having to wait for the next bus.

Wednesday’s issue relating to the 0728 was as a result of traffic congestion in the city centre and the significant delays this had caused. As a result, the bus missed out the Park & Ride to make up time, which is a concern, given that bus operators are required to adhere to registered routes. Other issues, including a number in past weeks, have mostly related to a lack of capacity at certain times to accomodate Kingswells passengers following earlier pickups in Westhill.

Steve said, “I have drawn these issues to the attention of both Aberdeen City Council’s Public Transport Unit and Stagecoach. I have as a result received assurances from Stagecoach’s MD that he is aware of the situations and looking art how best to address matters. In the meantime he has arranged to put in place a double decker on specific runs to assist with capacity issues until a longer term solution is identified. This is in the process of being arranged”.

“I fully accept that sometimes buses can get held up as a result of circumstances beyond the control of their operators. However, having seen the queues on Wednesday morning (pictured above) and heard of the difficulties experienced by residents three days in a row, it was clear that swift action was needed”.

“Should such an issue arise again, please contact Stagecoach directly and copy your complaint to myself so I can follow it up with them”.

Councillors today agreed a way forward to address the gaps in public transport provision across Aberdeen, the most notable of which is the lack of commercial bus services in Kingswells following the withdrawal of the X40 in April and the subsequent shuttle bus connections to Stagecoach’s X17 service, which was introduced on a temporary basis by Aberdeen City Council in order to plug the gap.

It was also agreed that a licence would be sought to operate Council owned community buses to run and evening service to Airyhall and a Sunday service to Denmore.

In another twist to the Kingswells saga, this comes in the wake of numerous complaints from residents regarding the operation of the X17 service. There is a longstanding issue regarding capacity from mid afternoon on this service resulting in people having difficulty getting home from work on that service.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I have had numerous complaints over the last few days about late running and overcrowded X17’s in the morning peak. As a result significant numbers of people have been very late for work and this situation cannot be allowed to continue”.

“I have already made the Public Transport Unit and Stagecoach aware of the need to address this matter and will be raising it as a formal complaint with the Traffic Commissioner unless it is resolved forthwith”.

At today’s meeting it was agreed that future service provision for Kingswells will be put out to tender with powers delegated to officers to accept and implement an appropriate tender without it coming back to committee unless provision of such a service were to fall outwith the available budget for supported bus services.

The intention is for monies from the supported buses fund to support the extension of an existing commercial bus service as this would be more cost effective than a standalone service. The suggested frequency would be 30 minutes at peak times, 60 minutes off peak and evenings Monday to Saturday with a 60 minute service on Sundays. This would replace the 94, X94 and A94 shuttle services which were only ever intended as a stop gap.

Steve said, “There’s an element of frustration that councillors have today agreed to a proposal almost identical to what I proposed in March and the fact that residents have had to endure an inadequate service for six months more than would otherwise have been the case”.

“There is also a sigh of relief that a political consensus has been achieved on this matter and there now appears to be a genuine desire to address the issue, an issue which could easily affect any other community in the future”.

The intention is to commence the new service, subject to Traffic Commissioner approval from January 2018 and, as long as it survives the budgetary process for 2018/19, extend it from April 2018 for a further year.

Steve said, “We’re not out of the woods yet as this is dependent on interest from commercial operators and subject to their willingness to satisfy the specified service criteria. However, I am as confident as I can be that a solution will come forward which satisfies these requirements and offers a good quality service to Kingswells residents”

“I will of course continue to update residents as matters unfold”.

Further details were released today regarding the extended operating hours for Kingswells buses. As previously reported, the intention is for the first bus of the morning to start off from the P&R round the village at 05.50. This remains unchanged in the current proposals.

Evening buses are scheduled to run on an hourly basis with the last bus scheduled to leave Kingswells just after 23.00. It is proposed that the evening service runs directly to the city centre.

The start date for these changes is currently pencilled in for 14th August, subject to Traffic Commissioner approval. The delay has resulted from ongoing work to finalise the timetable for the evening service.

Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney said, “I’m pleased to see this moving forward and will publish the full details online as soon as the route and timetable has been approved by the Traffic Commissioner. Better still that a direct link to the city centre is being offered”.

Stagecoach’s 218 is essentially the replacement for the X18, calling at Kingswells Park & Ride, albeit with a much reduced frequency.

Unfortunately this service stopped picking up and dropping off passengers at the Park & Ride without prior warning over two weeks ago. Local councillor Steve Delaney has been working with Stagecoach to have this link restored.

Steve said, “I’m pleased to say that Stagecoach have confirmed they will resume the picking up and dropping off of passengers on the 218 service at Kingswells Park & Ride with immediate effect”.

“No boardings will be permitted after Kingswells on the way in to the city centre and no drop offs will be permitted before Kingswells on the way back towards Alford”.

First Train Drivers In Kingswells

Over the last couple of weeks FirstAberdeen have been training drivers in Kingswells. This has understandably angered local residents. Steve Delaney, who saw two drivers being trained in Kingswells said, “This really beggars belief following on from First pulling out of Kingswells. I’ve been contacted by a number of residents who were clearly upset by by First’s display of total arrogance and insensitivity”.

“I appreciate they can train where they like, but this is surely rubbing salt into the wounds. Besides, drivers don’t need to be familiar with Kingswells any more so there’s no defensible reason for doing so. Clearly First has no shame, though I doubt that comes as a surprise to Kingswells residents”.

Some Connection Problems With the No 94 Shuttle Bus

Generally speaking the No 94 shuttle bus has been working well for those who are able to make use of it, accepting of course that many cannot do so as a result of its restricted hours of operation. Unfortunately there have been some issues with Stagecoach drivers pulling off from the P&R just as the 94 was coming in, resulting in people being late for work.

Steve Delaney has raised this with Stagecoach. Whilst they cannot hold up their services waiting for any late buses, they have agreed to hold back a minute or two if the 94 is within sight they prepare to pull off. However, some of the issues relate to the 94 timetable which is designed to link with the new X17 which comes into play from 8th May. When these changes come in there should hopefully be less issues arising in respect of connections.

Steve Delaney said, “The 94 is working well for some people but is completely useless for others. It can only ever be regarded as a stop gap solution and we need to get a better service in place as soon as possible. Subject to being re-elected on 4th May, you can be reassured this will remain my top priority”.

Initial feedback on this service has been mostly positive, following initial problems at the start of the week, but it is clear that that can never be more than a “sticky plaster” until a full service is put in place.

Some people had issues catching the bus on Monday as the drivers were not stopping at all the bus stops. This was further compounded by several X17 services not turning up during morning peak.

Matters were not helped by someone removing the bus timetables from the bus stops last weekend. This was quickly resolved but did cause initial problems. There was also confusion caused as to which bus stops were being used as all the bus stops said that no services stopped there! Again, quickly corrected.

Unfortunately the bus does not stop at intermediate stops outwith Kingswells. This is not good news for people who work at Woodhill House who have to walk to/from ARI, despite the fact it passes Woodhill House anyway. There are no doubt other places of work affected in a similar manner.

Overall journeys are lengthy and inconvenient as a result of requiring two or three buses to reach your destination. The real test will of course be when everything returns to normal after the Easter break and whether or not the X17 has sufficient capacity.

Please continue to keep Steve advised of any further difficulties you encounter with the service so I can feed these back to the Council.

The public meeting to discuss bus services in Kingswells was held on 30th March and was attended by over 250 people. Clearly nobody was happy about the No. 94 bus service as it doesn’t meet anyone’s needs.

It was confirmed by Council officials that the No. 94 service has been contracted to run for AT LEAST five months. A report is to be brought to committee in June, looking at future options for Kingswells.

Residents were angry that the service on offer does not adequately cover morning and evening peak periods as well as omitting evenings and weekends. People were also concerned about how to get to and from work and medical appointments.

The Council’s Transport Spokesman repeatedly referred to a recent decision to look into the possibility of the Council running its own bus service and also of possible changes in the forthcoming Transport Bill. Neither of these initiatives could be progressed in the short term, so they were in effect offering no solution (and perhaps raising false hope) with respect to the immediate issues faced by Kingswells residents.

Steve Delaney told meeting that the service on offer sells Kingswells short and a permanent solution must not be “thrown into the long grass” while the Council prevaricates over its own bus company or waits for possible regulatory changes. He also expressed his frustration that the prospect of this situation arising had not been budgeted for and that it had taken more than two weeks to progress matters to committee in respect of decision so close to the termination of the X40 and No. 11.

Afterwards He said, “I share the annoyance felt in Kingswells that councillors failed to back the proposal I put forward to allocate funding and go to tender immediately. This was intended to minimise the use of the No. 94 and introduce a standalone service sooner than is currently possible”.

“What we now have is the hiatus brought about by the council elections, which I had tried to avoid, and a decision, if we’re lucky, in June. In the meantime, are Kingswells residents just meant to sit back and wait?”

“Please rest assured I remain furious about this and I remain committed to ensuring that this inadequate service is replaced by one which runs 7 days a week including evenings, at the earliest possible opportunity”.

Following a request from Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney to the Council Leader to call an Urgent Business Committee to discuss the bus situation at Kingswells, some progress has been made.

It has been agreed that a report will go forward instead to the Finance, Policy & Resources Committee on 9th March.

Steve said, “The Council Leader contacted me today to advise of this decision, which I welcome. She agreed with me that ‘time was of the essence’ and I thanked her for moving this matter forward”.

“Hopefully the unanimity we saw in respect of my motion last October will prevail and we will see a real coming together by all councillors to ensure Kingswells residents can access public transport like everyone else in Aberdeen”.

In the meantime there has been another development following Stagecoach’s statement last week that they did not consider it commercially viable to offer a service to Kingswells village as they are now consulting on bus route changes planned for 1st May 2017. Two routes will call at the Kingswells Park & Ride as at present but with reduced frequencies.

The X17 will continue to call at Park & Ride site every day on a revised timetable. The first bus will be at 0549 Mon-Fri, 0619 Sat & 0816 Sun. Frequency will be every 15 minutes Mon-Sat and 20 minutes Sun for most of the day. The route will continue to serve Queens Road.

The X18 is being replaced by the 218 and the 220.

The 218 will call at Park & Ride site four times a day, representing a significant reduction in service over what is currently provided. The only 218 on offer during peak times is at 0732 with around 3 hours between buses. This route will continue to operate via Lang Stracht but will terminate at ARI.

With Kingswells Village Centre almost a mile from the Park & Ride and the northern edge of the village around two miles away, these services are of no use whatsoever to a large number of Kingswells residents.

The new service 220 is destined to serve Kingswells village but only operates Mon-Fri from 0908 – 1813 on a 60-90 minute frequency.

The consultations will be held at St Nicholas Square, Aberdeen from 10am – 4pm and at Westhill Academy from 7.30pm – 9pm, both tomorrow 2nd March! More details and timetables.

Steve said, “This is becoming farcical now. The number of Stagecoach buses operating from the Park & Ride has been halved during morning peak times and, though they are now offering a service to the village, there’s no morning peak service. They are clearly failing to provide services at the busiest times of day when people most need them”.

“If this is Stagecoach’s idea of making the route commercially viable, they are clearly having a laugh at the expense of Kingswells residents. To turn down business during morning peak makes no business sense at all. As well as forcing those who do drive back into their cars, not to mention the increased congestion, this is leaving non-car owners unable to get to work and children who go to school in the city centre unable to get to school”.

“Clearly a 60-90 minute service to Kingswells village with no morning peak service, no evening service and no weekend service completely fails to address the needs of local people. I have already been in touch with Stagecoach asking them to clarify their position but as of today’s date they have not responded. I therefore have no option but to call on Aberdeen City Council to provide a supported service which addresses the social and economic needs of Kingswells.

Following First’s decision to axe all services to Kingswells from 1st April, Stagecoach have been in talks with Aberdeen City Council with a view to possibly extending one of their services into Kingswells. In fact things were looking pretty positive initially though there were a number of practical and operational issues which had to resolved. Steve Delaney, Lib Dem councillor for the Kingswells area has been in regular touch with both Stagecoach and the Council’s Public Transport Unit throughout.

Steve updated fellow councillors at this afternoon’s Budget meeting that Stagecoach’s MD has confirmed that they do not consider such a service to be commercially viable for them and they will not therefore be putting forward proposals to serve Kingswells village. The Lib Dem Group proposed increasing the supported bus services budget to £500,000 at that meeting. Neither the SNP nor Administration budgets allocated any increase for supported bus services, having known for five months that the Kingswells service is under threat.

He said, “First have got greedy and they are starting to pick off their less profitable routes in order to maximise what they can squeeze out of Aberdeen. Personally I think it’s an absolute disgrace that this FTSE rated company which was born in Aberdeen lacks a moral compass and has no sense of social responsibility”.

Steve has already written to the Council Leader asking her to call an Urgent Business Committee to consider a proposal from officers on the best way forward and rhe eminded councillors of their previous unanimous support to ensure that Kingswells residents are not left without a service. He also spoke of withdrawal of this route as the thin edge of the wedge and called on councillors to raise concerns with their MSPs regarding the need for better regulation of bus services.

Steve said, “This is a devastating blow for Kingswells residents. A number of residents, some of whom are elderly or disabled, don’t drive and they need the bus to get to work, to school and to medical appointments. There are also a number of businesses in Kingswells which rely on staff from outwith Kingswells and many of them use public transport. Clearly staff working at Kingsmead Nursing Home, Great Western Nursery and After School Club, Kingswells School and other local business are likely to be affected”.

Steve said, “I would urge all councillors to get behind the people of Kingswells and ensure a replacement service is put in place as quickly as possible. My fear it that the tight timescale could result in people being left without a service for a period of time and that’s simply unacceptable. We need to move fast on this to ensure a Council sign off for a replacement service is put in place as soon as possible”.

The onus now falls to Aberdeen City Council to consider providing a supported bus service. Whether or not that happens and if it does, the level of service provided, is currently unclear.

Further updates will be issued as more information becomes available.

First Aberdeen has now submitted notice to withdraw all services from Kingswells with their last day of operation being 1st April 2017. Following their shock announcement last September, the confirmation has now been received by Aberdeeen City Council. This follows on from two public drop in sessions and numerous meetings between the council and First over the past few months.

Kingswells councillor Steve Delaney has been working with all interested parties throughout. He said, “This has hardly come as a surprise, but it takes nothing away from the anger surrounding their decision. My view remains that First will always put profit before people and they have absolutely no regard for the social or economic impact of their decisions”.

“From the outset I made it clear that my aim was to ensure we retain bus services to the village, so we must now look towards securing the best possible outcome for Kingswells”.

Steve had a very positive meeting with Stagecoach’s management recently. He said, “Stagecoach has shown an interest in operating a service in Kingswells and are currently looking at how best they may be able to serve the area. This is not cut and dried, but they are interested and I remain hopeful of a positive outcome”.

Aberdeen City Council intends holding a public meeting in Kingswells next month, by which time the final outcome should have become clearer. It is vital that as many people as possible attend this meeting.

Steve said, “We’re not out of the woods yet as some challenges remain, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I will of course keep everyone up to date as more details emerge and I am currently preparing a Focus newsletter for distribution as soon as I have more information”.

Some confusion arose this week when buses did not follow the previously advertised diversion route during roadworks on Fairley Road.

The route had been changed but the diversion had not been updated on First’s website. The correct details are as follows:-

Service 11 evenings and all day Sundays in both directions

Fairley Road will be closed to service 11

• Normal service to last stop on Kingswood Drive
• Continue straight on towards P&R site traffic lights
• Left into Newhills Road
• Continue down to Roundabout then normal service

Service x40 in both directions

• Normal service to last stop on Kingswood Drive
• Continue straight on to P&R site
• When leaving P&R turn Right into Newhills Road
• Continue down to Roundabout
• Left into Westhills Road
• Left into Old Lang Stracht
• Continue on normal service

There will be diversions on the No 11 and X40 routes during roadworks in Fairley Road. The first phase on the southern leg is ongoing and programmed to conclude by 14th January.

The second phase relates to the northern half of Fairley Road. This will not commence until the first phase has been completed and it is expected to be in operation until 5th February. These diversion affect people living in Fairley Road, Edmond Gardens, Whiterashes and Old Skene Road. Full details can be found here.

Thought that headline might get your intention. In reality he’s had to politely decline as he’s far too busy. At least we can rest assured the reindeer won’t incur a fixed penalty notice when delivering in the area on Sunday!

Seriously though, it has been confirmed that the long awaited re-opening of the Kingswells to Cults road will take place on 23rd December 2016. The road is due to re-open by 6pm, but the exact time may vary.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “After 20 weeks of closure this can’t come soon enough. The additional congestion on other routes as well as increased journey times has been an absolute nightmare for local residents”.

“Please note that there have been some changes to the road layout, so I would advise everyone to take extra care until you get used to the new layout. In addition there will still be some ongoing works on the roadway, footpaths and verges, so caution is advised.”

Thankfully there are no plans for any further closures of this road. However, there will be a section of Countesswells Road closed from 16th January 2017 for about eight weeks to complete the task of getting gas, electric, water and telephone connectivity into the Countesswells development site. Appropriate diversion will be put in place.

Following on from the public consultations, options are being considered and there is ongoing dialogue between FirstAberdeen and Aberdeen City Council. There will be a further meeting in January and FirstAberdeen has agreed not to make any changes to Kingswells services prior to that meeting. Aberdeen City Council has reconfirmed its commitment to hold a public meeting in Kingswells once matters become clearer.

Local councillor Steve Delaney said, “I can fully understand the concerns within Kingswells and the time this is taking does not help to allay those fears. However this does mean that the services cannot now be withdrawn until some time in March, if indeed this is the outcome. It’s still too early to say if any replacement service might be taken up by Stagecoach or if it will fall to the council”.

“My position has always been to ensure that residents must not be left without a bus service. Whether that’s provided by FirstAberdeen, Stagecoach or another company is secondary to the argument. People need to be able to get to work, school, medical appointments and to socialise. I will continue to work with all relevant organisations to ensure this is delivered”.

“Please rest assured there will be a further update as soon as I have some useful information to share with you”.

Following complaints from residents, Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney has raised the issue of poor timekeeping on the No 13 bus route with FirstAberdeen.

FirstAberdeen have advised that they are aware of this and are looking to make some adjustments to certain journeys in order to improve timekeeping. Unfortunately, the hoped for increase in frequency following the introduction of the Platinum service last year is not planned in their short term plans.

Steve said, “I’m disappointed that this well used service remains on a 20 minute frequency and have asked FirstAberdeen to give this matter further consideration once the city centre disruption of the next few months has passed. Clearly the top priority is to address the reliability of the service and I welcome their commitment to address this”

Aberdeen City Council’s Licensing Committee met on 25th October 2016 to consider a review of taxi fares in Aberdeen. It was agreed there would be no change to the existing tariff structure, which is to be reviewed and reported back to committee. Any proposed changes are likely to be introduced at the next usual review of fares around April 2018.

However, the request to increase the airport drop off charge from £1 to £2 to recompense drivers for the increase brought in by Aberdeen Airport was approved.

Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney, who spoke at the meeting asked the committee to write in the strongest terms to Aberdeen Airport requesting they drop the drop off charge. He also asked, and received assurances from the taxi trade, that passengers be advised they can request to be dropped off at the long stay car park to avoid paying the charge.

Steve said, “This charge is unjust. It’s not a parking charge, it’s a drop off charge with vehicles moving on as soon as they drop off their passengers. It’s no more than a cash cow for Aberdeen Airport and damages the reputation of the airport and the city. They should listen to their customers and scrap it now”.