buses

Bus services provide the most effective and efficient form of motorised road transport and are essential in providing socially necessary transport for people without access to a car. A key strand of the Regional Transport Strategy is to improve bus services throughout the north east, to encourage modal shift and thereby reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants, improve accessibility and utilise road space more effectively.

Nestrans is a member of the North East Quality Partnership for Public Transport along with Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils, First Aberdeen and Stagecoach Bluebird. The Quality Partnership Agreement was updated in 2010 to include a new set of standards and targets.  The partners also signed up to a Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnership (BPIP) to improve the punctuality and reliability of bus services on the Buchan to King Street corridor.  It is intended that this will be the first in a series of corridors to be tackled through the BPIP agreement. 

To take forward the proposals for bus improvements in the coming years, Nestrans has produced a Bus Action Plan, in partnership with the local authorities and operators.  Actions within the plan are being progressed through the Local Authority Bus Operators Forum and minutes from the Steering Group Meetings are reported to the Nestrans Board.

The www.realtimebus.com website was launched in September 2010 as a joint initiative between First in Aberdeen and Nestrans.  The website has a simple-to-use interface that allows customers to access real-time information for First services based on their preferred stop, bus route and time of day via PCs and mobile devices.  The branding complements that already in place for the getabout travel awareness partnership.   Real time information for services within Aberdeenshire is in the process of being developed and will be incorporated into the realtimebus website when available.