First and Stagecoach have joined forces to offer passengers in Aberdeen city and shire free travel every Saturday and Sunday in January as a result of savings made following the introduction of the new bus gates in the city centre. The offer is a direct impact of the improvements they have seen thanks to the new bus priority measures in Aberdeen, the operators say, with the new bus gates already speeding up journey times for over 600,000 people each month in the city centre.
Both First Bus and Stagecoach committed to reinvesting savings made from the new measures to directly benefit customers and say that the offer could be the sign of things to come if bus priority measures are further enhanced throughout the city. The new bus priority measures are already reducing pollution and congestion in the city centre, the city council says, while cutting journey times by up to 25%, with bus passengers seeing an improvement in punctuality and reliability.
Commercial Director for First Bus Scotland Graeme Macfarlan said: “We are delighted to be able to offer free travel across all First Bus routes in Aberdeen throughout January and the subsequent benefits that will bring to people travelling around the city. We understand January can be a difficult month for people for many different reasons and we felt this offer was a great way to reinvest the savings we are seeing from the new bus priority measures in the city centre while also encouraging more people to take the bus more often.
“Sustainable, reliable and affordable transport is a cornerstone of making any city centre a success and we will continue to play our part alongside our investment in zero-emission vehicles with nearly 50 now in operation across the city each day.”
Managing Director of Stagecoach North Scotland David Beaton added: “This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to working together as local public transport providers to ensure a bright, clean, and prosperous future for Aberdeen. Through providing free travel on our city services and within the Aberdeen commuter zone, we hope to give the city centre a boost during a challenging time of year, both for customers and local businesses, whilst encouraging modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport.”