Bus Route latest

Councillor Ian Yuill circulates an Enewsletter to residents in the area. The most recent copy has an update on a meeting between him, some of his fellow councillors and the First Aberdeen Managing Director, David Phillips.  The following is an extract from Councillor Yuill's Enewsletter.  To see the full article click here.

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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:

• First Aberdeen is not prepared to reverse the changes to our bus services
• First Aberdeen is not prepared to divert any service 19 buses along Countesswells Road as had been suggested at the public meeting on 21^st October
• First Aberdeen is not prepared to provide a service along Springfield Road to Mannofield and then onto Garthdee as the company does not believe this would be profitable
• First Aberdeen will remove the service 15 halt at Craigiebuckler which should speed journeys from the city centre to Airyhall
• He plans to organise an event to be held in our area shortly to allow First Aberdeen to share information about First Aberdeen’s plans

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.