Government funding of £200,000 has been granted to develop new bus gates and lanes in Aberdeen.
The £200,000 has been awarded to the North East Bus Alliance through the Bus Partnership Fund to deliver a bus priority route in the city centre.
The main focus will be on improving routes along Market Street, Guild Street and Bridge Street to reduce the impact of congestion on bus services.
Overall, it is hoped the previously announced bus lanes and bus gates will make journeys quicker for bus passengers travelling in and out of Aberdeen.
Ian Yuill, council co-leader, said: “This grant will allow the council to improve bus priority infrastructure.
“That in turn will encourage more people to use buses as part of efforts to reduce reliance on cars and so make our city centre a more attractive place to live, work, and visit.”
Creating a bus priority route
The bus priority route in Aberdeen city centre was agreed at a meeting of the full council in June last year.
Despite the significant changes to the city centre, the council went ahead with the plans without any public consultation.
Bus gates at the top of Market Street, on Guild Street east of Wapping Street and halfway up Bridge Street aim to minimise traffic by stopping motorists from using them as through-routes.
The existing bus gate on the east side of Union Street has also moved to the front of the Adelphi as part of the plans, which also feature new pedestrianised areas, one-way systems and access restrictions.
At the end of last year, work was completed to change the road layout to ban cars from going straight ahead from Trinity Quay on Guild Street.
However, the start date for work on the bus gates was delayed due to “winter weather conditions” in December and January.
Encouraging bus travel
Robert Andrew, chairman of the North East Bus Alliance, said ongoing improvements to the bus network will make a “tangible impact” on bus passengers.
He said: “Investing in infrastructure for efficient and reliable bus services is crucial for quality public transport.
“Once in operation, the reduction in congestion for buses will lead to immediate improvements in punctuality and quicker journey times in the area and will be particularly beneficial for the many services across the north-east that access Guild Street and the bus station.”
The Bus Partnership Fund will also support a proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit System for the region which will include priority for buses on certain city routes.
Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan added: “The Scottish Government’s world leading commitment to reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030 is key to reducing our transport emissions and ensure we meet our ambitious net zero targets.
“We can do this by investing in our public transport and in our transport infrastructure in a way which encourages people to leave the car at home and to choose bus.”
Conversation