First Aberdeen Local Bus Service Changes – March 2010.
First Aberdeen announced a number of service changes in November 2009 to take effect in February 2010. The Council, bus users and many other stakeholders were concerned that some of the changes represented a significant reduction in service with a wide range of impacts upon local communities and the economy.
First explained that their proposed changes were required to deliver improvements to other services within their network. First have claimed that there are significant traffic problems within the City, leading to unreliable bus services.
During discussions concerning the negative aspects of the service changes, First Aberdeen took a decision to cancel all of the changes. There were further discussions on how improvements could be made to the network, where the Council felt they were required and First then submitted a new set of timetables to take affect from Sunday 21st March 2010.
The new set of timetables are a significant improvement with additional resource being made available to the bus network in Aberdeen. This is a very positive step forward by First Aberdeen compared to changes of a more negative and reducing nature from previous years.
I have summarised below the changes to each service. If you require a detailed explanation I can provide a report, please contact me on 01224 523073 or by email at imason@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Summary of service changes.
Services 1, 1A, 2, 2A.
The Red Line – Danestone/Scotstown – Garthdee/Auchinyell
Monday – Friday.
In 2008, this service was reduced from a 10 minute frequency to 12 minutes (5 minutes to 6 minutes on the common section where both services 1 and 2 operate) due to serious problems with vehicles “bunching” when operating on the old timetable.
The new timetable has been designed to mitigate this and to try to ensure an even spaced headway between buses in the City centre area.
This should have no negative effect on the travelling public. The only main result of the change being a reduced number of buses having to sit for significant periods of time on Holburn Street/Auchinyell Road due to running ahead of schedule.
Given that we are aware that this service faces significant overcrowding issues during the peak period, it is disappointing not to see further investment being undertaken by First Aberdeen to increase this back to its former 10 minute service level. However, we are currently working with First Aberdeen in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, Stagecoach Bluebird and Nestrans on the Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnership, one of the first areas this shall be focussing on shall be the King Street/Ellon Road Corridor. Once suitable measures are in place to deliver an appreciable improvement in journey times on this corridor, First Aberdeen have indicated that they will consider making further improvements to this service.
Saturdays.
No change to service level throughout the day.
The only negative change is in the early evening, between 18:00 and 19:00, when the service drops from a frequency of approximately 15 minutes to 20 minutes.
Three journeys will no longer operate, but will have alternatives, for reference, the affected journeys are:
9:02 King Street Depot – Ashwood.
9:05 Auchinyell – Ashwood.
9:12 Union Street – Danestone.
Sundays.
Minor timetable changes only, no measurable impact.
Service 3.
The Purple Line - Mastrick – Cove.
Monday – Friday.
The timetable has been substantially changed to allow for significant alterations in the journey times. Journey times have increased by up to 10 minutes to alleviate reliability concerns. This additional running time is relatively evenly spread throughout the route, not concentrated towards any one point on the route. The current service level is maintained on this service.
Saturday & Sunday.
No Change.
Service 5.
The Lime Green Line – Dubford – Balnagask (Via Cornhill Road)
This service revision sees the route of service 5 unchanged, and the timetable re-written to reflect journey times. First will also operate with an additional vehicle on service 5, which is a significant improvement to the public.
Monday – Friday.
An additional four minutes of running time have been allocated to the route along with a number of timetable changes.
Saturday.
Two journeys have been removed in the early evening however. 19:14 and 19:44 Dubford – Guild Street. This reduces the service from 15 to 30 minutes an hour earlier than previously.
Sunday.
No change.
Service 12.
The Green Line –Torry – Northfield.
Monday – Friday.
This service is being substantially improved with a 10 minute service now being introduced all day between 7:30 and 17:30 (currently only 10 minutes during the peak period) During the early mornings the frequency is unchanged at approximately 15 minutes, and the late evening frequency is unchanged at 20 minutes.
In addition to the frequency increase, up to 7 minutes of additional running time have been added to this service.
Saturday.
Minor timetable changes only.
Sunday.
No change.
Service 14.
The Salmon Line –Kingswells – Seaton/Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The existing service level has been maintained on this service, with the timetable alterations being due to altered running time, with a view to improving service reliability.
Service 17.
The Blue Line – Newhills/Dyce – Fauld’s Gate.
Monday – Friday.
There have been a number of timetable changes throughout the day due to an increase running time of up to 11 minutes.
This service shall continue to operate on its 10 minute frequency throughout the morning peak period and on a 12 minute through the interpeak period. However where it currently increases to a 10 minute service during the PM peak (between 15:26 and 18:15), this will be reduced to a 12 minute service.
This results in a total loss of six departures through the day.
While the acknowledgement from First Aberdeen that there are huge reliability issues on this service by the significant increase in running time is a large step in the right direction with respect to punctuality, this change is also cause for concern.
Especially given that this is known to be a very busy service, which is known on occasion to suffer from capacity issues during the peak period. Reducing the frequency of this service is only likely to further exacerbate these overcrowding issues – which also has a knock on effect on the reliability of the service.
Saturday & Sunday.
No Change.
Service 19.
The Turquoise Line – Tillydrone – Culter.
Monday – Friday.
The main changes to this service are as a result of an increase in allocated running time.
The only changes to service level are between 18:23 and 19:55, During this period, the service used to operate on a 15 minute basis until dropping to the evening frequency of 30 minutes. This will instead operate on a 20 minute basis between 18:23 and 19:55, before dropping to the evening level of 30 minutes.
Additional running time of up to 5 minutes has been added to the timetable in the interests of improving the reliability of this service.
Given the level of timekeeping problems we are aware that are present on this route, we feel that this minor an increase in running time during the peak period, particularly in the afternoon when there is a significant increase in congestion levels on both ends of this route. We shall be monitoring this service to establish whether these changes do in fact improve the reliability of this service, particularly within the Tillydrone area where we are aware that there are often problems with buses being turned short.
Saturday & Sunday.
Minor Timetable changes only
Service 21.
The Claret Line – Charleston/Altens to Dyce.
Monday – Friday.
Currently this service operates on an irregular timetable, with the frequency varying between 19 and 23 minutes, with alternate journeys starting in Cove and Altens between 6:45 and 9:30.
The new timetable shows a much more regular service, with a 24 minute service from each of these locations. Between 9:30 and 16:00 the service continues on its current 12 minute basis from Cove to Dyce. During the afternoon peak period, the service currently has a variable frequency service of between 16 and 27 minutes, this is replaced with a regular 24 minute service alternating between starting in Cove and Altens. As a result of these changes, a total of six journeys are lost throughout the day.
Whilst the new timetable has addressed reliability concerns, it has done so by a reduction in frequency and increase in operating times. First will operate with an additional vehicle on this route.
Saturday.
Minor timetable changes only.
Service 23.
The Yellow Line – Heathryfold – Sheddocksley.
Monday – Friday.
This service will continue to operate on its current 10 minute peak, 12 minute off peak basis throughout the day, albeit with quite a number of timetable changes. With the exception of the early morning (before 07:00) changes, these are unlikely to have any significant effect on passengers.
Up to 4 minutes running time has been added to most of the journeys.
In light of the fact that this service is currently known to suffer from severe reliability problems both during the peak and off-peak periods, this will be monitored following the introduction of this new timetable.
The early morning journeys from Heathryfold have been retimed quite considerably, this results in the passengers having an earlier bus (6:05, rather than previously 6:20) available to them, with a bus every 20 minutes until the peak time 10 minute frequency takes over at 6:57. Previously during this period, there was a bus every 13 minutes, so this is a reduction in service level.
Saturday.
Minor timetable alterations only, none which are likely to have any significant effect on passengers.
What is worthy of note however is a huge increase in running time through the city centre and onwards to Sheddocksley during the morning peak period, this comes to a total of 17 minutes.
Sunday.
No change.
Service 25. Mastrick to Broad Street.
This service is seeing some quite considerable changes to both its route and timetable.
Within the city centre, the route being altered so that the bus will travel along Schoolhill, Broad Street, Union Street, Market Street, Guild Street (to serve Union Square), before travelling back up Bridge Street, Union Street, Broad Street and back onto Schoolhill, onto its original route back up Rosemount Viaduct.
We have carried out surveys at the stop on East North Street (Morrison’s Supermarket) and have identified that there are very few passengers using the service to access this area, the maximum number of users here was 2 on one occasion.
The service currently operates on an hourly basis, operated by one bus only. With effect from the 21st of March, this will be increased to a 30 minute service, with 2 buses operating on the route. The actual operating hours are largely unchanged, with the service starting from Broad Street 3 minutes earlier in the morning, and the last journey departing there 1 minute later.
This service currently operates Monday to Friday only – however with effect from the 21st of March, this will increase to include operation on Saturdays. There will still be no Sunday service.
This is of course very much a good news story, with the introduction of a Saturday service and a doubling of the service frequency.
Service 27 – Guild Street – Kirkhill Industrial Estate (Via Airport).
This route has been altered within the Kirkhill Industrial Estate to take in Howe Moss Crescent – allowing it to serve the new Halliburton development there.
While the timetable has been altered throughout the day, the current level of 13 departures per day has been maintained, simply with the existing departures rearranged to give a slightly shorter wait between buses during the busier periods.
The first bus from the City Centre still departs at the same time. The first bus in from the Airport now departs 7 minutes later, at 6:35.
The last bus from the City Centre now departs 25 minutes later at 18:05, and the last bus from the Airport 20 minutes later at 18:55 – Likely to be useful for workers in the area who will be offered additional flexibility by this change.
The Bank Holiday timetable is substantially improved, with an additional six departures throughout the day compared to the current timetable.
These new departures are at 5:50, 6:35, 8:55, 13:50, 14:40 and 16:25 from Guild Street, and 6:35, 7:27, 9:48, 14:50, 15:40, 17:25 from the Airport.
Yours Sincerely,