Scottish government awards £200,000 for Aberdeen bus infrastructure

Credit: First Bus

Transport Scotland has announced that the Scottish government has awarded £200,000 to the North East Bus Alliance through the Bus Partnership Fund.

This will deliver bus priority infrastructure on Market Street, Guild Street and Bridge Street in Aberdeen city centre, which will help reduce the impact of congestion on bus services and make journeys quicker for passengers.

Bus lanes and gates are expected to be operational by the end of summer 2023, coinciding with the completion of improvements at South College Street, which have been funded by the Scottish Government and Aberdeen City Council. This is all part of the city council’s wider City Centre Masterplan and will benefit many bus passengers. 

The Bus Partnership Fund is also supporting the development of a proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit system for the region including bus priority on associated transport corridors into the city.

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Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition Màiri McAllan said: “I am delighted that the Scottish government is investing £200,000 to transform bus infrastructure across Aberdeen City Centre. The Scottish government’s… commitment to reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030 is key to reducing our transport emissions and ensuring 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. I look forward to seeing similar transformational investment right across the country through our Bus Partnership Fund.”

Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader, Councillor Ian Yuill, 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.”

Chair of the North East Bus Alliance Robert Andrew 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. These improvements, enabled by the Bus Partnership Fund will soon be making a tangible impact for bus passengers, alongside ongoing improvements to the wider bus network and supporting the development of Aberdeen Rapid Transit.”