Santa Claus has been recruited in Aberdeen to encourage people to leave their cars at home in favour of the bus this festive season.
Father Christmas is often seen on the side of a Coca-Cola truck in TV advertising slots but now he is the face of a campaign to change public opinion of bus gates in the city centre.
And while the council compiles its own naughty list and issues fines to those who drive through restricted zones, North East Bus Alliance is telling Christmas shoppers to make their journeys “stress-free” by taking the bus.
Santa swaps sleigh for bus
The group – which is made up of regional transport body Nestrans, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, First Aberdeen, Stagecoach Bluebird and Bains Coaches – has organised a video as part of the campaign.
They said that taking the bus this festive season results in “quicker, stress-free and greener travel” in and around the Granite City.
It follows on from the alliance bringing in PR firm Big Partnership to communicate the new bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre and “encourage people” to make small changes to the way they get into and around town.
North East Bus Alliance claims that bus journey times have being reduced by 25% as a direct result of the bus gates, which went live in August, with over one million passenger journeys being quicker and more reliable.
They also argue that more people taking the bus more often will lead to improvements to public transport and further reduce congestion and pollution in the city centre.
In the long-term, they also believe that the bus gates are the “first steps towards longer-term transport solutions” in the city, including Aberdeen Rapid Transit, which they argue will “help in the fight against climate change”.
The video follows Santa taking the bus into the city centre for his Christmas shopping, although it appears not to be Aberdeen’s very own Santa, who is often spotted on the city’s bus network.
North East Bus Alliance claim that it was “inspired” by the adverts of Amazon, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.
‘Bus journey times are quicker and more predictable’
Nestrans director Rab Dickson said: “With fewer buses now being held up unnecessarily in city centre traffic, thanks to the bus priority measures, bus journey times are quicker and more predictable.
“This means that Christmas shoppers have more reasons to switch from the car in favour of the bus this festive season.”
You can see the new campaign website here.
Revealed: Aberdeen drivers spared £1.3 million in bus gate fines during ‘grace period’
Conversation