Garthdee Controlled Parking Zone update
Liberal Democrat councillor for Mannofield, Airyhall, Braeside, Broomhill, Garthdee, Kaimhill and Ruthrieston Learn more
by Ian Yuill on 8 January, 2016
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete and return the survey about bus services to Airyhall, Braeside and Mannofield which I carried out before Christmas.
I contacted 1,041 households seeking people’s views on First Aberdeen’s changes to bus services and received a total of 169 replies. This was a response rate of 16.2% – which is a high level of response for this type of survey. The results of the survey are detailed in the table below:
| Yes | No | Don’t Know / No Answer | |||
| 1 | Did you use our local bus service before the recent changes to the route and timetable? | 163 (96.4%) | 5 (3.0%) | 1 (0.6%) | |
| 2 | Do you believe First Aberdeen should reverse their recent changes to our local bus service? | 161 (95.3%) | 2 (1.2%) | 6 (3.6%) | |
| 3 | Would you use a bus service running from Hazlehead along Springfield Road past the Mannofield shops and then to Garthdee? | 75 (44.4%) | 50 (29.6%) | 44 (26.1%) |
As you can see from the survey results, almost all of those who replied used the local bus service before the recent changes to services and believe that First Aberdeen should reverse those changes. There was also significant interest in a new service being provided along Springfield Road to Mannofield and then onto Garthdee – but many of those who replied felt such a service would not help them at all.
Whilst I received replies from across Mannofield, Airyhall and Braeside, the highest level of response came from Airyhall where people made it clear they feel particularly badly hit by First Aberdeen’s changes to our bus services.
I have forwarded copies of the survey results to both First Aberdeen and the council’s Public Transport Unit.
Along with Craigiebuckler councillors Martin Greig and Jennifer Stewart, I met recently with First Aberdeen Managing Director David Phillips. We emphasised to Mr Phillips just how unhappy residents continued to be with First Aberdeen’s changes to bus services and again urged him to reconsider that decision. Amongst the points Mr Phillips made to us in reply were:
Martin Greig, Jennifer Stewart and I made it clear that, whilst we welcomed the decision to remove the halt at Craigiebuckler, we were very disappointed that First Aberdeen was not prepared to reconsider the changes to bus services given the huge level of unhappiness these had caused.
I have contacted Aberdeen City Council’s Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure and urged that the council reconsider providing financial support for socially necessary, although unprofitable, bus services. If the council were to agree to do this it would allow it to invite bus companies to tender to provide a service from Airyhall, along Great Western Road to the city centre and so restore the link upon which many residents depend.
4 Comments
What a Fascist Organisation First Aberdeen have turned out to be. Having stood at the bus stop in Mannofield for over 4 years awaiting many early morning ‘non arrivals’ of either the No 19 and No 15 or worst still finding that even the drivers are unaware of the timetables. I find their ‘service’ and attitude incomprehensible. To further take away the No 15 has added insult to injury with most of the No 19’s being packed to the rafters whilst travelling at a funereal pace into Union St. and back.
In addition to this their No 1 Bus from Holburn St to Rutherieston is often so overfilled with Students (if it arrives) that Elderly passengers are lucky to either get on or if they do are unable to get off as Students and Rucksacks bar the exit. While drivers sit silently.
What a disgrace for Aberdeen to be blackmailed by a Bus Company. You can travel the length and breadth of Edinburgh for a fraction of the bus fare that First Bus extort from Aberdeen travellers and never have longer than a few minutes to wait for a super selection of both buses and routes.
Why cant the Council remove their licence to operate?
The council cannot remove First Aberdeen’s “licence to operate” because the council has no role in regulating bus services. Bus services in the UK were deregulated in the 1980s and First Aberdeen is a private company that is free to operate, or not operate, whatever services it wishes. Aberdeen City Council has not role in that.
In that case perhaps Abdn Council could encourage other Operators into the Town as its quite obvious that First Aberdeen are not providing much of a ‘service’ other than perhaps rack up profits for themselves. Perhaps you need to close the bus lanes and these could be utilised for some form of alternative faster transport. The bendy buses Im sure are a danger to life and limb and appear to cause numerous hold ups when ambling up and down the Holburn Area. In fact one managed to hit one of the bus shelters in Union Street last year and they didnt stop, a couple of inches nearer and we would all have been in ARI.
There is no restriction on other bus companies operating in Aberdeen. The problem is that it is very expensive to set up a new bus depot and network. The council cannot help finance that.