On behalf of the North East Bus Alliance
The fund is split into two Tiers, with Tier 1 funding being allocated to local authorities based on levels of Transport Poverty (with a minimum threshold of £50,000) and Tier 2 through bids put forward by voluntary Bus Partnerships.
Tier 1 funding of £10 million has been distributed through the General Capital Grant with Aberdeen City Council awarded £50,000 and Aberdeenshire Council awarded £510,000.
Aberdeen City Council submitted a bid to Tier 2 on behalf of the North East Bus Alliance (which is a voluntary partnership between Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans, First and Stagecoach) and has successfully been awarded a total of £995,000 for three projects:
- Urban Traffic Management Control System upgrade for bus priority (£490,000) – to upgrade the city council’s Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC) system to facilitate and develop its functionality in order to provide priority for buses at traffic signals.
- Design work for upgrade of St Machar Drive/King Street Junction from roundabout to signals with bus priority (£50,000) – Replace the existing 4-arm roundabout at the junction of A956 King Street / School Road / St Machar Drive and its associated staggered pedestrian crossing facilities, with a new traffic signal-controlled junction incorporating Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC) facilitating bus priority at the signals and improved safety for walking, wheeling and cycling. Detailed design and associated works to enable the project to be construction ready in 2026-27.
- Upgrade and expansion of Real Time Passenger Information across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire (£455,000) – Implement upgrade and expansion of bus stop real time passenger information (RTPI) provision at key locations across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.
Robert Andrew, chair of the North East Bus Alliance said, “We welcome the award of £995,000 from the Scottish Government’s Bus Infrastructure Fund. This investment will support a range of improvements designed to make bus travel more reliable and attractive for people across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
The funding will allow for upgrades to the traffic management control systems within Aberdeen to give buses priority at signals, and funding to begin feasibility work to improve bus movements at St Machar roundabout, a key junction for the region’s bus network. The award will also allow for the improvement and expansion of real-time passenger information at bus stops throughout the region, including at Aberdeen Bus Station providing people with clear information about their bus journey.
We recognise that public confidence in some of our region’s bus services has been challenged in recent times. These projects show our commitment to partnership working to improve the efficiency, reliability and journey times of buses in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, making it easier for people to travel.
We look forward to working with partners to deliver these improvements and to continue improving our bus service in the North East.”
The North East Bus Alliance was established in 2018 and a voluntary Quality Partnership Agreement which includes Nestrans, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, First Bus in Aberdeen and Stagecoach North Scotland.
The overarching objectives of this agreement are to:
- Arrest decline in bus patronage in the North East of Scotland by 2022; and
- Achieve year on year growth in bus patronage to 2025.
Together, Bus Alliance partners want to deliver improvements for bus passengers across the region through the development and delivery of a region-wide Bus Action Plan.