First Bus has announced it will be adding extra journeys, improving reliability and extending routes across nine Aberdeen services from Sunday 17th August.
Set to go live ahead of the return of schools for the new academic year, improvements will be made to services 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3S, 17, 18A, 22A, and 22C.
Services 3 and 3A will see increases in frequency during the morning peak (7:30am – 9am) and afternoon peak (3pm – 5:20pm) to every 10 minutes. Outside of those peak times, the service will also increase from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes.
Further changes are being made to Services 3 and 3A in Cove to make the service more efficient as well as extend the service to Charleston on Sundays and bank holidays.
Service 3A will be renamed to Service 3C for one morning journey and one afternoon journey Monday to Friday. These journeys will be servicing Lochside Academy and will also serve Charleston Drive which isn’t part of the normal 3A route.
Service 22A and 22C will run to a slightly revised timetable to ensure a more reliable service for users, while Services 17 and 18A will run slightly extended routes for two journeys a day to meet the demand for further connections with employment and leisure across Aberdeen.
Service 17 will be extended to and from Dyce on two journeys a day between Monday and Friday to restore a link between Newhills and Asda in Dyce. The extended journeys to Dyce will depart Faulds Gate at 9am and 12pm. The extended journeys to Faulds Gate will depart Dyce at 11:12am and 2:12pm.
The extended 18A will have a revised route in Altens Monday to Friday to include the Recycling Plant. The extended morning service will depart Dyce at 5:40am, arriving in the city centre at 6:15am. The extended afternoon service will depart Altens Recycling Plant at 2:40pm.
Graeme Macfarlan, First Bus Scotland Commercial Director, said: “We’re delighted to be investing to increase the number of journeys on some services, as well as improving reliability and extending routes.
“At First Bus, our aim is to connect people with where they want to go and these changes help to achieve that, while ensuring we have more buses running at peak times taking people to and from education, employment and leisure.
“This increase is the first step in our plans to invest in our bus network in Aberdeen, growing the number of journeys available to customers as well as frequencies and reliability. Our hope is to make the bus an attractive option that encourages people to travel more sustainably throughout the city, leaving the car at home a little more often.”
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Key to the health and vibrancy of our city centre is having transport links that make it easier for people to get there.
“These changes and improvements to connectivity being made by First Bus are very welcome.”
For full details, please visit firstbus.co.uk/aberdeen