Concerns have been raised that Garthdee residents are “suffering greatly” due to local bus services being overburdened with students going to and from RGU.
Last week, we highlighted how students travelling from the city centre out to Robert Gordon University in Garthdee have been struggling to board jam-packed First Bus services.
Some said they’ve recently been forced to wait for up to 40 minutes at Union Street bus stops, watching multiple buses going past with a message of apology displayed, saying they are full.
Since our article last week, multiple residents from Garthdee have expressed how they too have been facing difficulties with bus travel due to how busy the local services are with students.
82-year-old missed appointment after watching four Garthdee bus services drive past
Suzie Fowlie said her 82-year-old mother, who lives in Garthdee, was forced to re-book an appointment as a result of the busy First Bus services.
She explained that with various health issues and being a non-driver, her mother “relies heavily on the buses”.
Suzie said: “My elderly mum lives in Garthdee, and along with many other residents in the area, she is also suffering greatly with this issue.
“Very recently my mum had an appointment in Aberdeen — she left her house in plenty time.
“She stood at the stop and watched four full buses drive past, and this was at around 11.30am.
“Realising she was now going to be late for her appointment and thanks to the kindness of a fellow passenger waiting with her at the same stop, she was able to borrow their mobile phone and make a call to say she was going to be late.
“Unfortunately, due to being late, her appointment was cancelled and had to be re-booked.”
Garthdee bus problems not just at rush hour periods
Suzie said the problems of full buses aren’t just at peak periods, but “can continue at varying points throughout the day”.
She said that students leaving RGU and heading towards Aberdeen are “filling up the buses at the campus and the closest stops to there”.
She said this has “resulted, on many occasions, in residents not being able to get on the bus as it heads down either Garthdee Road towards Holburn Street, or Auchinyell Road towards Broomhill road.”
Community councillor’s concerns
Margaret Forrest, who is a Garthdee community councillor alongside her husband Gavin, says she’s heard of many residents who have experienced issues with the First Bus services.
Margaret said: “We were going into town by bus to a 5pm show at His Majesty’s Theatre.
“When the bus came it was full of students, so we were unable to get on.
“A man at the bus stop said this has happened the day before and was a regular occurrence.”
The couple did manage to get on a bus, and managed to get to the theatre with “minutes to spare”.
Margaret added: “We are concerned for anyone who has an an important appointment or is catching a train or bus that they may well be late.”
And another resident we spoke to, who lives in Broomhill, said it took a whole hour to get from the west end of Union Street to home by taking the bus.
He said: “I am absolutely disgusted with our bus service.
“I left Michies near Bon-Accord Terrace at 11.25am, and got home to Broomhill at 12.25pm.
“Not only did I have to wait an age when the bus arrived, I had to endure yet another terrible trip.”
First increases services in response to ‘reviews and feedback’
David Adam, head of operations with First Aberdeen, said additional buses on the routes to and from Garthdee have been brought in.
He said: “We continually review the resources we have available to us so that route capacity best matches customer demand whenever possible.
“As a result of these reviews and the feedback we have received from customers, we have further increased the number of buses running throughout the day on our services 1 and 2.
“We hope the addition of these extra buses beyond peak times will help to ease overcrowding on these services while ensuring a more comfortable and enjoyable journey for all.”
Conversation