Aberdeen's two transport giants have pushed back on critics of the city's new bus gates - insisting they will speed up public transport.
First Bus and Stagecoach Bluebird, the two largest bus operators in the city, say the changes will benefit over half a million passengers every month across the region.
They say the three new bus gates - located on Bridge Street, Guild Street, as well as between Market Street and Guild Street – will reduce travel times for buses in the city centre which will in turn make travelling by bus a more attractive alternative to the car.
In a joint statement, they said passengers travelling on routes to and from Aberdeen city centre will be able to do so quicker, more reliably and in a more sustainable way.
Duncan Cameron, Managing Director at First Bus Scotland, said: “As bus operators, we want to play our part in building a city centre that is sustainable and vibrant, therefore attracting more business and footfall to the city centre.
“To do so, public transport needs to be prioritised so more people can access the city centre quicker and easier. The introduction of these new bus priority measures is intended to allow buses to flow through the city centre quicker than they have before while also improving reliability of bus travel. If these intentions are delivered, then it will allow us to reinvest these savings in our network and accelerate our plans to introduce more services and greater value tickets for our customers.
“This has been an important investment by Aberdeen City Council and Transport Scotland into public transport which will enable people quicker access to the city centre and deliver a more effective bus service for people in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.”
Daniel Laird, Commercial Director at Stagecoach Bluebird, said: "We're confident that the new measures will deliver more consistent journey times for customers, build on a sustainable public transport network and make services more attractive as the city continues with its transformation.
“As we continue to collectively reduce emissions and improve air quality in the city, we are grateful for the investment so far by Aberdeen City Council and Transport Scotland which will lay the foundations for real improvements to sustainable bus travel and efficient journey times in the coming months and years. Taking the bus in Aberdeen is already the sustainable choice, and these improvements will make that choice easier for thousands of passengers across the region."
The intervention has also received support from the Scottish Government.
Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop said:
“Transforming bus infrastructure in the city will lead to quicker and more consistent journey times for the millions of bus passengers that travel through the city every year. This will also encourage more bus use and reduce emissions from cars.
“I am pleased to see the opening of bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre, which are part funded by £200,000 from the Scottish Government’s Bus Partnership Fund.
“The Scottish Government’s world leading commitment to reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030 is key to reducing our transport emissions and meeting our ambitious net zero targets. We can do this by investing in our public transport and 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.”