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Free ‘retro’ hopper bus for Christmas shoppers in Aberdeen

A ‘retro’ hopper bus offering Christmas shoppers free transport round Aberdeen city centre is to be officially unveiled today (FRIDAY).

The Aberdeen Business Improvement District company (BiD) is providing the service as part of this year’s enhanced Aberdeen City ‘Winter Festival’, offering shoppers the opportunity to easily access all the shopping area on offer across the city centre.

The bus will be stationed outside M&S throughout today to give locals information on the service, its circular route and timetable.

The service starts on the evening of Thursday, December 1, as part of the ‘Snowflake Shopping Spectacular’ event also organised by the Aberdeen BiD Company.

Following this, the bus will run on Saturdays and Sundays every 20 minutes between 10am and 5pm in the run up to Christmas.

In addition to the hopper bus there will also be a standard First bus offering the service.

The bus route will start at Broad Street moving to Union Street, Market Street, Guild Street, Bridge Street, Union Street, Rose Street, Chapel Street, Union Street, Union Terrace, Schoolhill, Uperkirkgate and back to Broad Street.

Hopper bus signs will be in place at each of the bus stops included in the route.

Local charities have also been invited to get involved with the festivities by signing up to be a traditional bus conductor for a day aboard the special bus, where they will be able to collect for their cause.

John Michie, chairman of the Aberdeen BiD said: “The hopper bus is all about adding value to the already existing ‘Winter Festival.

“Aberdeen has a variety of shopping areas covering the city centre from The Bon Accord and St Nicholas Centres to the Merchant Quarter to Union Square to the West End and the hopper bus aims to encourage connectivity of these areas and for people to really be able to enjoy and make the most of all Aberdeen has to offer during their Christmas shopping.

“With the bus also being free we hope this will help people during the festive period and encourage more footfall in the city centre.”

Aberdeen City Council’s Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee Convener Councillor Kate Dean added:  “With thousands of residents and visitors to the city expected to enjoy Aberdeen’s Winter Festival this free festive service is bound to be a real hit with shoppers.

“Retailers in all quarters of the city centre are sure to benefit as the free hop on and off bus will encourage shoppers to seek out other shops to buy their festive goodies.

“The fact that charities will also benefit from the service is also a fantastic idea.”

In addition to the hopper bus, the Aberdeen BiD company have secured an evening of late night shopping, bringing together the various shopping areas of the city centre and additional winter lights which will lighten a path from Union Square up through the green to St Nicholas Centre to promote connectivity.

The additions to the Winter Festival are being funded by the BiD’s multi-million pound investment fund of which the first levy payment from city centre businesses has been taken.

Under the BiD, city centre businesses with a rateable value of more than £27,500 pay a 1% levy to fund a variety of initiatives that will attract more footfall into the city centre by making it cleaner, safer and a more attractive place to live, work and invest.

The area covered by the BiD scheme stretches from Holburn Junction to King Street, and Union Square to George Street.

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