overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
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- 9,112
THIS Was postage on Scotland Bus Yahoo group by prismascotland, who has given an extremely outstanding review of the Aberdeen changes. Im sure some how here would enjoy reading it: ENJOY!
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In recent weeks the Aberdeen city bus network has undergone its biggest change since arguably the Metro network was launched back in 2001.
The changes were instigated by First Aberdeen as part of a nationwide roll out of new service networks designed to initiate passenger and profit growth. The changes were billed as "benefiting the majority" while "disappointing some".
The revamp has seen Aberdeen revisit the principles of Overground by withdrawing the last remaining non core daytime routes, reducing or curtailing the lower margin Overground style routes, removing the majority of the "A" route variations and investing in the frequencies of the highest margin routes. It has also seen routes simplified along main corridors and services renumbered to use the same or similar route numbers and colours.
Overall, there has been net reduction in PVR by around four buses (although that's a reduction of around ten buses since April 2011). The four buses saved being the four B10BLEs transferred to Scotland East in advance of the changes. The money saved in reducing the fleet is being reinvested in recommencing the fleet repaint programme that had been cancelled back in 2010. At time of writing 16 buses have been repainted into the new refreshed livery (31558/9,37636-44, 69110/22-5) but has been suspended again due to a shortage of available buses. It is anticipated the old Barbie colours will be eliminated within four years. Although First announced that vehicles would be repainted in Aberdeen there are no paintshop facilities so Ferrymill will undertake all fleet repaints and will now also apply the pink stripes and logos as Aberdeen staff have struggled to find the time to do such work resulting in incomplete vehicles hitting the streets.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7516894658/
Aberdeen has been struggling to have sufficient vehicles available for services now since 2010 for a variety of reasons. One of these has been a lack of engineering staff due to the high wages offered by the buoyant oil industry in the city. As such engineering staff have been offered an inflation busting 5% pay rise to retain staff with money saved by scrapping the post of Managing Director who has been made redundant. The company will now be led by the Operations Director who will now take on the dual role of General Manager.
First Aberdeen also has the highest fares of any city bus operator in Scotland. The last fare rise in January failed to generate additional revenue as the number of passengers lost negated the extra revenue achieved from the higher fares. In an attempt to reverse the situation a fares promotion is being run from September to November where pass holders can get % free travel when renewing. The only promotion for less frequent users (those who travel three days or less a week) is the 11 for the price of 10 on Carnet. The Carnet uptake has been limited so ex Glasgow artic 10144 has now received promotional branding for it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004404941/
Stagecoach have responded with its own fare promotions and have secured key First bus stops for Stagecoach advertisements.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054857923/
This follows a campaign highlighting the fare difference earlier in the year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/6863424905/
To fund the reduction in fares, First have tackled drivers wages which the company claims are the highest in Scotland at around £30,000 a year.
The withdrawal of many evening services has achieved a PVR reduction of around five buses and on Sundays by around three. These are the times when drivers get paid the highest premiums. They have proposed to increase drivers wages by only 1.5% this year but for a further reduction in benefits and also introducing a reported £2,000 fee for new drivers who require PCV training. Despite twelve drivers defecting to Stagecoach Bluebird there is still a glut of drivers due to the service reductions so the driver trainer Bluebird AARE has been mothballed of late. Drivers however are unhappy with the proposed changes and are balloting for industrial action at present. The new contract will be a challenge for future recruitment given the record low unemployment in the city.
First Aberdeen Coach Hire continue to subcontract work to Aberdeenshire & Angus independents and presumably find that a lower cost option.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8077273707/
Coloured route branding is also being revamped on some routes. The Lime Green Line and Salmon Line branding has been removed from buses as the frequencies have now been reduced to just 30 minutes with no evening services. The Green Line 12 branding has been removed and replaced by new style branding that is designed to fit the new livery although it has been applied Barbie livery Renowns instead.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7980915759/
The Pink Line 13 branding has been reapplied eight months after it was removed from the last bus following the reduction in frequency from 20 to 30 minutes. However, the frequency has now reverted back to 20 minutes so the decision has been made to reapply branding again.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051026034/
The Orange Line has been changed from the 16/16A to the 11 and the route
branding has been removed leaving just the orange stripe on the B10BLEs.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054861851/
The Red Line 1/2 artics continue to carry their route branding even though the buses are branded for every 12 minutes and the service is now every 15 mins end to end. The P&R Kingswells to Bridge of Don branding is retained for routes 4, 40 and 41 services even though none of the services individually serve all the points on the route branding.
The route branding is now as follows:
Red Line 1/2 – 10154-68 (unchanged)
Purple Line 3 – 69125-9 (mix of old and new style)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027959494/ (news style)
Orange Line 11 – 62132-7 (nor route branding just colour)
Green Line 12 – 62165-9 (new style)
Pink Line 13 – 62163/4 (new style)
Yellow Line 23 – 69352-7 (unchanged, buses due for repaint in next six months)
Park & Ride – 62170-2/4-6 (unchanged, no plans to repaint prior to withdrawal)
The Blue Line branding is not being reapplied at present. It had been planned that there would be twenty new double deckers in time for the service launch but the ongoing financial restraints at parent FirstGroup have seen the order cancelled after it was announced to the public. Instead it is hoped to get nineteen new single deckers in 2013 which would be branded for the Blue Line 17/18.
The Turquoise Line 19 has also not received branding as it is proposed to be relaunched as a new showcase route. This will see the reintroduction of the Gold Service, a format first started at SMT as Diamond Service around 1994 and taken to Grampian Transport by the MD of SMT when he moved north. The fine detail of what the Gold Service will be is still being finalised but it will not use the Gold Service name. It had been proposed to rebrand the 2008 batch of Volvo B9TLs for the 19 however there have been emerging capacity problems on many of the new routes since the revamp and as such a number of the deckers are now required for the Orange Line 11 and the Blue Line 18. There are still capacity problems on the single deck workings on the 1 & 2 and 40 which First have so far resisted moving the remaining deckers too as many of the route 19
buses are required to move onto capacity duties on other routes in the evening so the idea may require to be revisited and routes are currently being monitored.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054886015/
The Lavender Line 9 has now been rebranded as a Red Line 1 as it shares the same route as the 1 between RGU and Union Street. A new RGU to St Machar Drive service has also been started to part replace the Pink Line 13 and compensate for the reduction in the Danestone and Ashwood services along King Street. This has also been branded the Red Line 1/2 so there are now five different routes branded as the Red Line. The new St Machar Drive service is required to wait for up to 13 minutes on yellow lines on the King Street bus lane. This is effectively blocking the bus lane and although First drivers are aware of this and keeping out of the bus lane it has caught out some Stagecoach drivers who have ended up getting blocked in behind them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027965155/
There was a sixth variant of the Red Line 1 for a few days when in error the Orange Line 11 buses had their displays reprogrammed minus a digit showing "Northfield 1".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004394667/
The Red Line now required 27 artics at its peak (some of which interwork with the 21B, 27 and 40) and with one required for the 18/21B, one for the 21B, and one also for the 27) there is now a requirement for 30 of the 31 taxed artics to be in service in the morning peak but on a good day only 27 may make it out on the road. As a result there has been significant capacity problems on the single deckers being used to top up the 1&2 as the reduced frequency means many of the artics are now running full made worse by reliability problems with the new timetable causing bunching. Rather than increase the margins on the route passengers are being displaced on to Stagecoach services. The new timetable has
put drivers under a lot of pressure to keep to timetable resulting in this road rage incident with a cyclist which featured on the First Twitter page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFVzcXhT0Y
The Claret Line 21/21A has been curtailed at Redmoss, route simplified in Kincorth and renumbered 18 and colour changed to blue to coordinate with the Blue Line 17. It was anticipated by some that the change of route number and colour may cause confusion among passengers but most seem to have grasped the change although sadly not First Aberdeen team on Twitter.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8075136590/
For the benefit of any doubt the 18 was the 21/21A and is the Blue Line except when short of buses:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004409264/
The First Twitter page has been bombarded with complaints of buses running late, breaking down, drivers get lost on the new routes and buses being overcrowded and has stopped Tweeting since the start of the week. At the same time First has launched a new Customer Pledge, any passenger not satisfied with their journey travels free next time, in hark back to Gold Service. The 21 does actually live on though at school times though as the duplicates operate as 21B and still run all the way to Charleston. Because the school workings have nothing to duplicate south of Redmoss the heavier loadings now require artics. The unreliability of this vehicle type has caused problems getting the buses out of the depot in the morning as a result the First Twitter has had many complaints from school pupils complaining of the buses being late for school.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027983114/
First have withdrawn the evening service of the Lime Green Line 5. They have also rerouted the service so it no longer serves some of the most popular points enroute namely Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Berryden Retail Park, Tesco and Asda. The main city centre bus stop has also been changed so it no longer serves the same stop as the other more frequent bus routes to Torry. Unfortunately when the revised service was launched westbound terminal of Craigiebuckler was misspelt to sound like somewhere Father Ted may reside:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993250396/
Stagecoach Bluebird have stepped in and launched a commercial evening service on an hourly frequency using Alexander bodied MANs.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7997429708/
They have also provided a joint First/Stagecoach timetable although First make no mention of the Stagecoach service in their own timetable.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7997493789/
Although Stagecoach has plugged the gap left by First it does mean that First pass holders need to pay Stagecoach fares in the evening. This may not, however, pose much of a problem as due to a shortage of buses First have been operating coaches on the daytime service and offering free fares due to the lack of ticketing equipment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8050895240/
The northern section of the Lime Green 5 has been withdrawn and replaced by the 4 between Dubford and ARI only on an hourly frequency, down from a 15 minute frequency just 18 months ago. The service therefore no longer serves the city centre and passengers are required to change buses on to a 3 or 40. To promote the connection the destination displays of the 3 and 40 have been updated so advertise the connection although there does not appear to be any transfer fares. Unfortunately, First have not provided drivers with the destination codes for the connection and the non connection journeys so drivers are advertising connections on non connecting journeys.
This route 3 bus advertises a connect for Dubford which would result in a 56 minute wait at ARI making the bus services. Passengers would be able to walk the four miles almost 20 minutes quicker than the two buses would get there on these "connections".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051043058/
Meanwhile the University of Aberdeen pulled the funding for the Aberdeen Connect
6 service between Seaton & Hillhead after students threatened to boycott First
last year over fare rises and have chosen instead to court Stagecoach who have
launched the 9U service to replace the First 6 on a half hour frequency
including a commercial Saturday service. Stagecoach have also linked the 9U to
provide a commercial Seaton to City Centre service in competition with the First
Pink Line 13 service but running a more direct route along King Street against
the overcrowded Red Line 1/2 service. As well as cheaper fares the 9U offers
faster journey times to passengers.
The service launched with Alexander bodied MANs displaced from the Hospital
Direct 59 service by the new Enviro350H back in the summer but is using some 55
reg examples prior to their transfer to West Scotland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004465777
However, loadings on the peak AM have risen quickly and as such a double decker
was required by the end of the first week to run one of the duties resulting in
the return of Olympian operations to city bus routes for the first time since
2008.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027974577/
Another kind of Olympian in the city a few weeks back:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993097097/
The Atlantean in a rare outing with First Aberdeen was of more interest though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993138820/
Stagecoach do not operate an evening service on the 9U, but new Aberdeen
nightclub, Club Campus, have agreed to run an hourly free bus service from
Hillhead to the City Centre running at the same time as the Indigo Line 20 using
a American yellow school bus, V875 LYS.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8010552437/
First have rerouted the Turquoise Line 19 service via Papermill. This was to
have been the new global HQ for First until residents complained and First chose
to look elsewhere. Now Papermill is a new residential estate but although the
bus has been rerouted to serve the estate the council have yet to erect any bus
stops for the bus to stop at.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027976922/
Aberdeen City Council no longer have sufficient funding to change the route
numbers on bus stops and as such bus stop flags continue to show the old route
numbers on stops causing uncertainty among passengers as to what buses stop
where, particularly where bus stops have route numbers for old routes that now
have new services of the same number running past but not stopping at them. The
council are now blanking out the old route numbers but it is likely to take over
a year to complete.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027985879/
The Park & Ride service has also undergone major changes. Instead of a P&R
service to the city centre, services now serve Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The 40
from Bridge of Don still runs via the city centre on its way to ARI but the
Kingswell section now runs as a 41 to the ARI only where passengers must change
buses to get to the City Centre. As more passengers used the service to get
into the city centre than ARI the new 41 service is carrying car sized loadings
offpeak and is loss making.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004425820/
Ironically no sooner had First submitted the registration to the traffic
commissioner to axe the Bridge of Don to Kingswells P&R service, it was
announced that European Union funding had been secured to operate hydrogen buses
on the route so it would seem a further revamp of the service will be required
to restore the link back given that the buses will need to go to Kingswells P&R
to refuel. The Bridge of Don P&R service now extends to Dubford to replace the
withdrawn 13 service. Not all route Park & Ride branded buses now serve the Park
& Ride anymore as some operate direct to Dubford. Presumably this must cause
confusion with passengers as the Park & Ride branded buses often even show via
Park & Ride on the destination display even when they don't serve it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004464690/
Stagecoach Bluebird will relaunch the X17 service at the end of the month with
the former Olympics 12 reg Enviro300s which are being prepared for service on an
increased 10 min frequency which will compete against the First Orange Line 11
service which through First own admission has been suffering from a reliability
problem enroute since the new route was launched.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051069643/
Stagecoach Bluebird are also revising the Inverurie Connect service with an
enhanced frequency and new hospital links as the 37/37A and enhancing the
evening and Sunday services on the Coasrtrider network and have also begun a
revamp of the Buchan Link service network with a new livery on the Neoplan
Skyliners and Panther coaches.
Skyliner (front):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004403591/
Skyliner (rear):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004405130/
Panther (front):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7983130507/
Panther (rear):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054897673/
The ex Rapsons Olympus deckers are unbranded and can appear on a mix of routes
as required with just the two from Western in service at present. These are
replacing the last Olympian at Peterhead and will allow the Enviro400 deckers to
cascade to Aberdeen.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8046568353/
With the prospect of both operators investing in further new buses in 2013 and
the withdrawal of the Alexander ALX300 B10BLEs with First Aberdeen as a result,
plenty of change still to come to the city.
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In recent weeks the Aberdeen city bus network has undergone its biggest change since arguably the Metro network was launched back in 2001.
The changes were instigated by First Aberdeen as part of a nationwide roll out of new service networks designed to initiate passenger and profit growth. The changes were billed as "benefiting the majority" while "disappointing some".
The revamp has seen Aberdeen revisit the principles of Overground by withdrawing the last remaining non core daytime routes, reducing or curtailing the lower margin Overground style routes, removing the majority of the "A" route variations and investing in the frequencies of the highest margin routes. It has also seen routes simplified along main corridors and services renumbered to use the same or similar route numbers and colours.
Overall, there has been net reduction in PVR by around four buses (although that's a reduction of around ten buses since April 2011). The four buses saved being the four B10BLEs transferred to Scotland East in advance of the changes. The money saved in reducing the fleet is being reinvested in recommencing the fleet repaint programme that had been cancelled back in 2010. At time of writing 16 buses have been repainted into the new refreshed livery (31558/9,37636-44, 69110/22-5) but has been suspended again due to a shortage of available buses. It is anticipated the old Barbie colours will be eliminated within four years. Although First announced that vehicles would be repainted in Aberdeen there are no paintshop facilities so Ferrymill will undertake all fleet repaints and will now also apply the pink stripes and logos as Aberdeen staff have struggled to find the time to do such work resulting in incomplete vehicles hitting the streets.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7516894658/
Aberdeen has been struggling to have sufficient vehicles available for services now since 2010 for a variety of reasons. One of these has been a lack of engineering staff due to the high wages offered by the buoyant oil industry in the city. As such engineering staff have been offered an inflation busting 5% pay rise to retain staff with money saved by scrapping the post of Managing Director who has been made redundant. The company will now be led by the Operations Director who will now take on the dual role of General Manager.
First Aberdeen also has the highest fares of any city bus operator in Scotland. The last fare rise in January failed to generate additional revenue as the number of passengers lost negated the extra revenue achieved from the higher fares. In an attempt to reverse the situation a fares promotion is being run from September to November where pass holders can get % free travel when renewing. The only promotion for less frequent users (those who travel three days or less a week) is the 11 for the price of 10 on Carnet. The Carnet uptake has been limited so ex Glasgow artic 10144 has now received promotional branding for it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004404941/
Stagecoach have responded with its own fare promotions and have secured key First bus stops for Stagecoach advertisements.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054857923/
This follows a campaign highlighting the fare difference earlier in the year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/6863424905/
To fund the reduction in fares, First have tackled drivers wages which the company claims are the highest in Scotland at around £30,000 a year.
The withdrawal of many evening services has achieved a PVR reduction of around five buses and on Sundays by around three. These are the times when drivers get paid the highest premiums. They have proposed to increase drivers wages by only 1.5% this year but for a further reduction in benefits and also introducing a reported £2,000 fee for new drivers who require PCV training. Despite twelve drivers defecting to Stagecoach Bluebird there is still a glut of drivers due to the service reductions so the driver trainer Bluebird AARE has been mothballed of late. Drivers however are unhappy with the proposed changes and are balloting for industrial action at present. The new contract will be a challenge for future recruitment given the record low unemployment in the city.
First Aberdeen Coach Hire continue to subcontract work to Aberdeenshire & Angus independents and presumably find that a lower cost option.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8077273707/
Coloured route branding is also being revamped on some routes. The Lime Green Line and Salmon Line branding has been removed from buses as the frequencies have now been reduced to just 30 minutes with no evening services. The Green Line 12 branding has been removed and replaced by new style branding that is designed to fit the new livery although it has been applied Barbie livery Renowns instead.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7980915759/
The Pink Line 13 branding has been reapplied eight months after it was removed from the last bus following the reduction in frequency from 20 to 30 minutes. However, the frequency has now reverted back to 20 minutes so the decision has been made to reapply branding again.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051026034/
The Orange Line has been changed from the 16/16A to the 11 and the route
branding has been removed leaving just the orange stripe on the B10BLEs.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054861851/
The Red Line 1/2 artics continue to carry their route branding even though the buses are branded for every 12 minutes and the service is now every 15 mins end to end. The P&R Kingswells to Bridge of Don branding is retained for routes 4, 40 and 41 services even though none of the services individually serve all the points on the route branding.
The route branding is now as follows:
Red Line 1/2 – 10154-68 (unchanged)
Purple Line 3 – 69125-9 (mix of old and new style)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027959494/ (news style)
Orange Line 11 – 62132-7 (nor route branding just colour)
Green Line 12 – 62165-9 (new style)
Pink Line 13 – 62163/4 (new style)
Yellow Line 23 – 69352-7 (unchanged, buses due for repaint in next six months)
Park & Ride – 62170-2/4-6 (unchanged, no plans to repaint prior to withdrawal)
The Blue Line branding is not being reapplied at present. It had been planned that there would be twenty new double deckers in time for the service launch but the ongoing financial restraints at parent FirstGroup have seen the order cancelled after it was announced to the public. Instead it is hoped to get nineteen new single deckers in 2013 which would be branded for the Blue Line 17/18.
The Turquoise Line 19 has also not received branding as it is proposed to be relaunched as a new showcase route. This will see the reintroduction of the Gold Service, a format first started at SMT as Diamond Service around 1994 and taken to Grampian Transport by the MD of SMT when he moved north. The fine detail of what the Gold Service will be is still being finalised but it will not use the Gold Service name. It had been proposed to rebrand the 2008 batch of Volvo B9TLs for the 19 however there have been emerging capacity problems on many of the new routes since the revamp and as such a number of the deckers are now required for the Orange Line 11 and the Blue Line 18. There are still capacity problems on the single deck workings on the 1 & 2 and 40 which First have so far resisted moving the remaining deckers too as many of the route 19
buses are required to move onto capacity duties on other routes in the evening so the idea may require to be revisited and routes are currently being monitored.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054886015/
The Lavender Line 9 has now been rebranded as a Red Line 1 as it shares the same route as the 1 between RGU and Union Street. A new RGU to St Machar Drive service has also been started to part replace the Pink Line 13 and compensate for the reduction in the Danestone and Ashwood services along King Street. This has also been branded the Red Line 1/2 so there are now five different routes branded as the Red Line. The new St Machar Drive service is required to wait for up to 13 minutes on yellow lines on the King Street bus lane. This is effectively blocking the bus lane and although First drivers are aware of this and keeping out of the bus lane it has caught out some Stagecoach drivers who have ended up getting blocked in behind them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027965155/
There was a sixth variant of the Red Line 1 for a few days when in error the Orange Line 11 buses had their displays reprogrammed minus a digit showing "Northfield 1".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004394667/
The Red Line now required 27 artics at its peak (some of which interwork with the 21B, 27 and 40) and with one required for the 18/21B, one for the 21B, and one also for the 27) there is now a requirement for 30 of the 31 taxed artics to be in service in the morning peak but on a good day only 27 may make it out on the road. As a result there has been significant capacity problems on the single deckers being used to top up the 1&2 as the reduced frequency means many of the artics are now running full made worse by reliability problems with the new timetable causing bunching. Rather than increase the margins on the route passengers are being displaced on to Stagecoach services. The new timetable has
put drivers under a lot of pressure to keep to timetable resulting in this road rage incident with a cyclist which featured on the First Twitter page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFVzcXhT0Y
The Claret Line 21/21A has been curtailed at Redmoss, route simplified in Kincorth and renumbered 18 and colour changed to blue to coordinate with the Blue Line 17. It was anticipated by some that the change of route number and colour may cause confusion among passengers but most seem to have grasped the change although sadly not First Aberdeen team on Twitter.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8075136590/
For the benefit of any doubt the 18 was the 21/21A and is the Blue Line except when short of buses:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004409264/
The First Twitter page has been bombarded with complaints of buses running late, breaking down, drivers get lost on the new routes and buses being overcrowded and has stopped Tweeting since the start of the week. At the same time First has launched a new Customer Pledge, any passenger not satisfied with their journey travels free next time, in hark back to Gold Service. The 21 does actually live on though at school times though as the duplicates operate as 21B and still run all the way to Charleston. Because the school workings have nothing to duplicate south of Redmoss the heavier loadings now require artics. The unreliability of this vehicle type has caused problems getting the buses out of the depot in the morning as a result the First Twitter has had many complaints from school pupils complaining of the buses being late for school.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027983114/
First have withdrawn the evening service of the Lime Green Line 5. They have also rerouted the service so it no longer serves some of the most popular points enroute namely Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Berryden Retail Park, Tesco and Asda. The main city centre bus stop has also been changed so it no longer serves the same stop as the other more frequent bus routes to Torry. Unfortunately when the revised service was launched westbound terminal of Craigiebuckler was misspelt to sound like somewhere Father Ted may reside:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993250396/
Stagecoach Bluebird have stepped in and launched a commercial evening service on an hourly frequency using Alexander bodied MANs.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7997429708/
They have also provided a joint First/Stagecoach timetable although First make no mention of the Stagecoach service in their own timetable.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7997493789/
Although Stagecoach has plugged the gap left by First it does mean that First pass holders need to pay Stagecoach fares in the evening. This may not, however, pose much of a problem as due to a shortage of buses First have been operating coaches on the daytime service and offering free fares due to the lack of ticketing equipment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8050895240/
The northern section of the Lime Green 5 has been withdrawn and replaced by the 4 between Dubford and ARI only on an hourly frequency, down from a 15 minute frequency just 18 months ago. The service therefore no longer serves the city centre and passengers are required to change buses on to a 3 or 40. To promote the connection the destination displays of the 3 and 40 have been updated so advertise the connection although there does not appear to be any transfer fares. Unfortunately, First have not provided drivers with the destination codes for the connection and the non connection journeys so drivers are advertising connections on non connecting journeys.
This route 3 bus advertises a connect for Dubford which would result in a 56 minute wait at ARI making the bus services. Passengers would be able to walk the four miles almost 20 minutes quicker than the two buses would get there on these "connections".
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051043058/
Meanwhile the University of Aberdeen pulled the funding for the Aberdeen Connect
6 service between Seaton & Hillhead after students threatened to boycott First
last year over fare rises and have chosen instead to court Stagecoach who have
launched the 9U service to replace the First 6 on a half hour frequency
including a commercial Saturday service. Stagecoach have also linked the 9U to
provide a commercial Seaton to City Centre service in competition with the First
Pink Line 13 service but running a more direct route along King Street against
the overcrowded Red Line 1/2 service. As well as cheaper fares the 9U offers
faster journey times to passengers.
The service launched with Alexander bodied MANs displaced from the Hospital
Direct 59 service by the new Enviro350H back in the summer but is using some 55
reg examples prior to their transfer to West Scotland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004465777
However, loadings on the peak AM have risen quickly and as such a double decker
was required by the end of the first week to run one of the duties resulting in
the return of Olympian operations to city bus routes for the first time since
2008.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027974577/
Another kind of Olympian in the city a few weeks back:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993097097/
The Atlantean in a rare outing with First Aberdeen was of more interest though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7993138820/
Stagecoach do not operate an evening service on the 9U, but new Aberdeen
nightclub, Club Campus, have agreed to run an hourly free bus service from
Hillhead to the City Centre running at the same time as the Indigo Line 20 using
a American yellow school bus, V875 LYS.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8010552437/
First have rerouted the Turquoise Line 19 service via Papermill. This was to
have been the new global HQ for First until residents complained and First chose
to look elsewhere. Now Papermill is a new residential estate but although the
bus has been rerouted to serve the estate the council have yet to erect any bus
stops for the bus to stop at.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027976922/
Aberdeen City Council no longer have sufficient funding to change the route
numbers on bus stops and as such bus stop flags continue to show the old route
numbers on stops causing uncertainty among passengers as to what buses stop
where, particularly where bus stops have route numbers for old routes that now
have new services of the same number running past but not stopping at them. The
council are now blanking out the old route numbers but it is likely to take over
a year to complete.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8027985879/
The Park & Ride service has also undergone major changes. Instead of a P&R
service to the city centre, services now serve Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The 40
from Bridge of Don still runs via the city centre on its way to ARI but the
Kingswell section now runs as a 41 to the ARI only where passengers must change
buses to get to the City Centre. As more passengers used the service to get
into the city centre than ARI the new 41 service is carrying car sized loadings
offpeak and is loss making.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004425820/
Ironically no sooner had First submitted the registration to the traffic
commissioner to axe the Bridge of Don to Kingswells P&R service, it was
announced that European Union funding had been secured to operate hydrogen buses
on the route so it would seem a further revamp of the service will be required
to restore the link back given that the buses will need to go to Kingswells P&R
to refuel. The Bridge of Don P&R service now extends to Dubford to replace the
withdrawn 13 service. Not all route Park & Ride branded buses now serve the Park
& Ride anymore as some operate direct to Dubford. Presumably this must cause
confusion with passengers as the Park & Ride branded buses often even show via
Park & Ride on the destination display even when they don't serve it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004464690/
Stagecoach Bluebird will relaunch the X17 service at the end of the month with
the former Olympics 12 reg Enviro300s which are being prepared for service on an
increased 10 min frequency which will compete against the First Orange Line 11
service which through First own admission has been suffering from a reliability
problem enroute since the new route was launched.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8051069643/
Stagecoach Bluebird are also revising the Inverurie Connect service with an
enhanced frequency and new hospital links as the 37/37A and enhancing the
evening and Sunday services on the Coasrtrider network and have also begun a
revamp of the Buchan Link service network with a new livery on the Neoplan
Skyliners and Panther coaches.
Skyliner (front):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004403591/
Skyliner (rear):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8004405130/
Panther (front):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/7983130507/
Panther (rear):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8054897673/
The ex Rapsons Olympus deckers are unbranded and can appear on a mix of routes
as required with just the two from Western in service at present. These are
replacing the last Olympian at Peterhead and will allow the Enviro400 deckers to
cascade to Aberdeen.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41987105@N06/8046568353/
With the prospect of both operators investing in further new buses in 2013 and
the withdrawal of the Alexander ALX300 B10BLEs with First Aberdeen as a result,
plenty of change still to come to the city.
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