First Aberdeen

[Volvodart]

Wrightbus are involved in a hydrogen bus consortium, so that part of the business may survive in some form anyway, whatever happens to the rest.

 

[Jordan Adam]

It appears repaints have stalled again. 69254 which was meant to be up next is now back in service still in Barbie. It is a bit of a joke that after 8 months only 4 buses are in the new livery, perhaps what makes it worse is the fact Glasgow are repainting vehicles due to come off next Spring.

 

[Jordan Adam]

As reported by 'Buses For Dubford' the changes to the N1/8/8A are as follows.

Night Bus N1: City - Bridge Of Don
00:08 & 02:08 journeys withdrawn.

Service 8: Dubford - ARI, Via City Centre
Most journeys have been retimed, some by up to 30 minutes.
From Dubford the 5:55, 7:06, 14:20 & 16:33 are withdrawn.
From ARI the 6:15, 14:27, 15:27 & 16:35 are withdrawn.
This means there's no buses from Adelphi between 14:37 and 17:43
On Saturdays the 6:15 from ARI is withdrawn.

Serivce 8A: Dubford - ARI, Via Hilton
Additional journey from Dubford at 6:00 replacing the 5:55 Service 8

 

[Deltic1961]

Regarding the night buses I have used the Dyce one regularly since 2002 and the BOD one before that.

The Dyce one used to be so busy at one point they even had a backup running behind the 3am one if it was full. Obviously the downturn killed that but they are almost empty now. I get the feeling First want to kill off the night service completely.

They keep changing the times, start points, routes and even the bus stops. The rerouting of some through Danestone but the last one on the normal route was downright stupid. It's changed back now though obviously. It's difficult enough for a sober person to understand let alone someone drunk. I have noticed lately the Dyce one especially runs 6 to 7 minutes late at the graveyard (no idea why at that time of night), and regularly people just walk off to the taxi rank because they don't think the bus is turning up.

On my past three journeys the bus has stopped in 3 different places at the graveyard because the drivers don't know where the stop actually is.... and that's no joke. The night bus lights on the shelters don't come on either now

The service is failing mainly because it's been dicked about with so much. No consistency whatsoever.

 

[Jordan Adam]

The monthly (or Bi-Weekly...) dribble from the local rag is out.

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp...-city-council-owned-bus-service-move-forward/

Plans for Aberdeen City Council owned bus service move forward

Plans for a council-owned bus service in Aberdeen have moved a step closer.

The issue is to be discussed at the meeting of Aberdeen City Council’s city growth and resources committee next week.

First Aberdeen operates services in the city but is up for sale.

Now a report, which will be submitted at next week’s meeting, has recommended the council’s director of resources should monitor the sale position of the firm.

Councillors will then be updated at the committee’s meeting on February 6, with recommended next steps to be discussed.

The report states: “As First Bus continue to progress the sale process the council will continue to monitor the position. At present the director of resources has indicated an informal, without prejudice noted interest in the sale.

“As with any sale of this nature, the company have appointed external advisors to facilitate the sale process through the open market.”

Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden previously said: “Obviously a lot of residents in the city depend on the bus service so we will be watching to see if there’s any part we can play and make sure a reliable bus service continues in the city.”

 

[Jordan Adam]

The new timetables are on the First website.... and what a joke they are!

Lets go route by route.

• Service 3: Frequency reduced from Every 12 Minutes to Every 30 Minutes.
• Service 3A: New Variation of the 3 to cover the links lost through the cuts to the 18.
• Service 3B: Previous service 3A renumbered to 3B.
  
• Service 3G: Axed, First will no longer serve Gateway Business Park
  
• Service 8: Some morning journeys axed, two offpeak journeys axed leaving over a 3 hour gap in service in the afternoon.
  
• Service 8A: Additional journey from Dubford at 6:00 using one of the buses axed from the 8.
  
• Service 11: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes.
  
• Service 12: Minor adjustments
  
• Service 17/17A/172: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes, Newhills to Dyce Frequency cut to hourly.
• Service 18/18A: Tillydrone/Danestone leg of the service axed, Charleston Road North leg of the service axed, Cove extension cut from Every 20 Minutes to hourly. New hourly 18A variation to Tullos, Lidl. Evening journeys cut.
  
• Service 19: Minor Changes
  
• Service 20: University Closed timetable cut to hourly.
  
• Service 19: Minor changes
  
• Service X27: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes. New Evening+Sunday Service. Peak journeys operate via Kirkhill.
  
• Service 117: Axed
• Service N1: Frequency reduced from Hourly to 2 Hourly.
• Service N17: Last two journeys withdrawn.
  
• Service N19: Last two journeys withdrawn.
  
• Service N20: Frequency reduced from Every 30 Minutes to Hourly. (Cut from Hourly to 2 Hourly when Uni is closed).
  
• Service N23: Last two journeys withdrawn.

 

[Deltic1961]

So the later night buses to Dyce are cancelled from 28th October. Only 12.15 and 01.15 now. Pretty crap for anyone working late at night.

As per my post above their next move will be to cancel the late night buses altogether.

 

[Jordan Adam]

So the later night buses to Dyce are cancelled from 28th October. Only 12.15 and 01.15 now. Pretty crap for anyone working late at night.

As per my post above their next move will be to cancel the late night buses altogether.

I suspect the N17 has been hit by the 727 operating 24/7, however the 727 doesn't cover Dyce.

 

[Deltic1961]

Actually it says above the N17 is two hourly, so there must be a mistake on the proposed timetable on their website, as two hourly isn't two hours in a row.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Actually it says above the N17 is two hourly, so there must be a mistake on the proposed timetable on their website, as two hourly isn't two hours in a row.

Yes thanks for pointing that out. It was an error on my part that I had noticed the other day but forgot to edit. I'll amend my post now!

 

[PaulMc7]

The new timetables are on the First website.... and what a joke they are!

Lets go route by route.

• Service 3: Frequency reduced from Every 12 Minutes to Every 30 Minutes.
• Service 3A: New Variation of the 3 to cover the links lost through the cuts to the 18.
• Service 3B: Previous service 3A renumbered to 3B.
  
• Service 3G: Axed, First will no longer serve Gateway Business Park
  
• Service 8: Some morning journeys axed, two offpeak journeys axed leaving over a 3 hour gap in service in the afternoon.
  
• Service 8A: Additional journey from Dubford at 6:00 using one of the buses axed from the 8.
  
• Service 11: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes.
  
• Service 12: Minor adjustments
  
• Service 17/17A/172: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes, Newhills to Dyce Frequency cut to hourly.
• Service 18/18A: Tillydrone/Danestone leg of the service axed, Charleston Road North leg of the service axed, Cove extension cut from Every 20 Minutes to hourly. New hourly 18A variation to Tullos, Lidl. Evening journeys cut.
  
• Service 19: Minor Changes
  
• Service 20: University Closed timetable cut to hourly.
  
• Service 19: Minor changes
  
• Service X27: Frequency reduced from Every 15 Minutes to Every 20 Minutes. New Evening+Sunday Service. Peak journeys operate via Kirkhill.
  
• Service 117: Axed
• Service N1: Frequency reduced from Hourly to 2 Hourly.
• Service N17: Last two journeys withdrawn.
  
• Service N19: Last two journeys withdrawn.
  
• Service N20: Frequency reduced from Every 30 Minutes to Hourly. (Cut from Hourly to 2 Hourly when Uni is closed).
  
• Service N23: Last two journeys withdrawn.

Looked more into these and these changes are definitely brutal. Hard to comment having never been to Aberdeen but big drops are never good

 

[Jordan Adam]

Looked more into these and these changes are definitely brutal. Hard to comment having never been to Aberdeen but big drops are never good

Looking at things the Aberdeen service fleet will have dropped by about 30 buses in the last 3 years. From around 170 in 2015/16/17 to just 140 now.

 

[PaulMc7]

Looking at things the Aberdeen service fleet will have dropped by about 30 buses in the last 3 years. From around 170 in 2015/16/17 to just 140 now.

That's a mammoth and ridiculous drop for a fleet that size

 

[Jordan Adam]

37636 has now been repainted, looks amazing!

 

[Jordan Adam]

https://www.firstgroup.com/aberdeen.../planned-changes/service-changes-27th-october

Service Changes - 27th October
Following weeks of consultation on our network change proposals, and having taken on board all of the feedback, comments and correspondence received, we can now confirm that following changes will come into effect as of October 27th 2019 across our Aberdeen network. We have based these changes on feedback from customers and key local stakeholders coupled with the thoughts of our local driving team and an extensive analysis of passenger journeys and punctuality of our services.
A summary of the changes are as follows:

Service 3/3A:

Bus service 3 - Mastrick – Cove via ARI - Rosemount - Union Square - Wellington Rd

• Will operate revised route in Cove, now separated into two different routes (3 & 3A) both operating 20 minute frequency.
• Service 3 will operate Langsdyke Road, Loirston Road, Cove Road, Earns Heugh Road, Loriston Avenue, Loriston Road to Langsdyke Road.
• Service 3A would operate Langsdyke Road, Loirston Road, Cove Road, Charleston Road, Charleston North to Wellington Road for City Centre.

After your feedback we have made the following changes to our original proposals.

With regards to Charleston Dr and Charleston Road not having an evening service, our proposal is for service 3 and 3A to each operate an hourly service to Cove but both to return from Cove as service 3A (Monday to Saturday only).
This enables passengers to have a 30 minute combined frequency from the city centre to Langdykes Rd, but hourly on Loirston Road for service 3 and hourly on Loirston Avenue and Earns Hugh Rd for service 3A.
Any passengers wishing to travel to town from 19:00 approximately will need to travel to the terminus first.
Once they arrive at the terminus they will return to town as service 3A on a 30 minute frequency.
Unfortunately, we currently can’t offer the same solution for Sunday and Bank Holidays.

Service 8:

Bus service 8 - Dubford – ARI via Danestone - Tillydrone - Aberdeen University - City Centre

• Service 8 will be reduced, but the peak journey service 8A to and from the hospital is still retained.

After your feedback we have made the following changes to our original proposals.
We are now able to partly reintroduce some journeys on service 8 maintaining the hourly frequency where possible.
The first journey 05:55 from Dubford is to be replaced with an additional service 8A departing at 06:00, which would arrive at ARI 06:32 instead of 06:46.
This allows any staff starting at 07:00 additonal time for handovers as per customer feedback.

Service 11:

Bus service 11 - Woodend – Northfield via Queens Road - City Centre - Berryden Retail Park

• Revised frequency from 15 mins to every 20 minutes, at peaks and main daytime, with timetable alterations.

Service 12:

Bus service 12 - Heathryfold – Torry via Berryden Retail Park - Union Square

• Minor amendment to departure and journey times
• Revised timetable introduced to provide quicker journeys.

Service 17:

Bus service 17 - Faulds Gate – Dyce via Duthie Park - Crown St - Bon Accord Centre- Newhills - Stoneywood - Dyce

• Revised frequency from 15 minutes to 20 mins between Newhills and Faulds Gate and reduced to hourly between Newhills and Dyce during the day. The half hourly evening service is still retained.

Service 18:

Bus service 18 - Charleston – Dyce via Cove- Altens Ind Est - Kincorth - City Centre- Tillydrone- Danestone

• This service will be removed from Cove area during off peak period. We are maintaining links to Altens Industrial Estate and Charleston at peak times.
• At the north end of the route, this service will be rerouted between Mugiemoss Road and City Centre to operate on Great Northern Road, no longer serving the Danestone and Tillydrone areas.

After your feedback we have made the following changes to our original proposals.

With regards to the off-peak link between Charleston and Kincorth we are now able to offer an hourly service (Monday to Friday only).
We are also going to provide an hourly service to Lidl’s on Wellington Rd by introducing the service 18A and by extending it from Redmoss to Wellington Road via West Tullos Road and Abbotswell Road. It will return to Redmoss via Wellington Rd and West Tulllos Road.

Service 19

Bus service 19 - Culter - Tillydrone

• Minor amendment to departure and journey times
• Revised timetable introduced to provide quicker journeys.

Service 20

Bus service 20 - Balnagask Circle - Hillhead Of Seaton via Union Square - Union Street - Old Aberdeen

• On Non-Uni dates will operate an hourly service Monday-Sunday.

Service 117

Bus service 117 - City Centre - Kirkhill Industrial Estate via Hilton - Wellheads Industrial Estate

• Service 117 will be withdrawn, however the service X27 will continue to serve Kirkhill Industrial Estate.

Service X27

Bus service X27 - Guild St - TECA / Bristow Heliport via Union St - Woodside

• Revised route between City Centre and Dyce rail station via Union Street, Alford Place, Waverley Place, Craigie Loanings, Argyll Place, Westburn Drive, Hilton Drive, Northanderson Drive, Auchmill Road, P&J Live site, Wellshead drive, International Avenue, past Aberdeen Airport, Forbes Road to Heliports, then Dyce Drive to Dyce Rail Station, with some journeys operating via Howe Moss Crescent & Avenue.
• Reduced from current 15 min to 20 min frequency.
• When leaving Dyce Railway Station the X27 will now service the Heliports / Kirkhill Industrial Estate first before continuing to P&J Live and the city centre.
• Between Holburn Junction and Auchmill Road there are limited stops – Westburn Park, Hilton High Church and Hilton Terrace to provide quicker journey time.
• Additional journeys added to Kirkhill Industrial Estate.

Night Services

•Reduced number of trips on each service.

Timetables and maps will be available later in October.

 

[PaulMc7]

https://www.firstgroup.com/aberdeen.../planned-changes/service-changes-27th-october

And people say feedback and consultation doesn't work at all lol. Doesn't look half as bad as the original changes

 

[Jordan Adam]

And people say feedback and consultation doesn't work at all lol. Doesn't look half as bad as the original changes

Not really.

In reality there's only been 3 changes since the consultation.

• 8 being saved: They were never really going to axe it and only proposed to in an attempt to get the council to subsidise it.
• 18 to Cove being retained, however the frequency is reduced from every 20 minutes to hourly, with the service to Altens halved.
• New 18A extension, pointless extension to service Lidl on Wellington Road and only adds 4 minutes to the journey time.

The cuts are huge and leave many areas disconnected.
Danestone looses it's main route in to the city centre forcing passengers journey times to double while putting pressure on the 1.
Tillydrone looses one of it's main routes. Putting lots of pressure on the 19. Overall the number of buses through Tillydrone has dropped from 9 per hour to just 4-5.
The Bridge Of Don to Dyce link is lost.
Muggiemoss passengers loose their link to Tesco.
Whitestripes passengers now have a 3 hour gap in service from town in the afternoon.
The number of buses through Cove has almost halved in under a year.
Charleston Road see their frequency cut from 12 minutes to hourly, Cove Bay see cuts from 12 minutes to half hourly.
Bankhead see their once 10 minute frequency cut to hourly.
Dyce has seen buses cut from 8 per hour to just 4 per hour.
Lower Danestone sees it's service cut from 8 buses per hour to just 2-3.
At Aberdeen Royal Infirmary First now offer a dismal 5 buses per hour. Cast back two years ago and First offered 13 buses per hour to ARI.
Most night services have the 2:00 & 3:00 departures axed. While the N1 is reduced to 2 hourly and the N20 reduced to hourly (2 hourly when the Uni is closed).
Many early morning and early evening buses are axed.
Diverting the X27 via Hilton is actually on paper a good idea, but the stupid limited stop arrangement will mean it's made even more useless than it already is.

 

[Deltic1961]

It's almost as if First Aberdeen are committing suicide.

 

[PaulMc7]

It's almost as if First Aberdeen are committing suicide.

That's one way of putting it and an accurate one at that. Certainly extreme changes and happening too quickly

 

[Jordan Adam]

It's almost as if First Aberdeen are committing suicide.

Indeed, Nobody here can get their heads around the changes to the 3/18. Both services are very well used, very profitable and work well. Granted Dyce passengers moan about the 18 being too slow, however that's just First's fault for not having a fast bus to Dyce.

The 18 as it is right now works perfectly, the whole route is well used and most locals along with the drivers are in agreement that it should've been getting a frequency increase along with an evening/sunday service. Yet the now evidently backwards firstgroup have decided to axe the Danestone/Tillydrone leg so they can send the X27 via Hitlon (the 18 will replace the X27 along Gt Northern Road). It should be noted that the changes to the 18 don't actually save any buses, the change to the X27 does save 1 bus, however that's due to the frequency reduction not the reroute which is only a few minutes faster.

I mean where's the logic here!

 

[PaulMc7]

Indeed, Nobody here can get their heads around the changes to the 3/18. Both services are very well used, very profitable and work well. Granted Dyce passengers moan about the 18 being too slow, however that's just First's fault for not having a fast bus to Dyce.

The 18 as it is right now works perfectly, the whole route is well used and most locals along with the drivers are in agreement that it should've been getting a frequency increase along with an evening/sunday service. Yet the now evidently backwards firstgroup have decided to axe the Danestone/Tillydrone leg so they can send the X27 via Hitlon (the 18 will replace the X27 along Gt Northern Road). It should be noted that the changes to the 18 don't actually save any buses, the change to the X27 does save 1 bus, however that's due to the frequency reduction not the reroute which is only a few minutes faster.

I mean where's the logic here!

Since the pressure has been put on for cuts to happen logic seems to have went out the window but Aberdeen definitely get it worst

 

[Deltic1961]

There's been no logic for a long time. I'm 53 now and have lived in Aberdeen all my life. It beggars belief some of the choices they have made regarding routes and pricing structures.

First are experts at cutting popular routes and creating ones that nobody wants. The whole 20mph thing has peed off lots of people too, especially in Dyce. 55 minutes for a 6 mile journey is obscene. The 18X & 21 worked well but they're long gone now.

They've no-one to blame but themselves and ACC wonder why they can't get car use down in Aberdeen.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Since the pressure has been put on for cuts to happen logic seems to have went out the window but Aberdeen definitely get it worst

But the thing is the route change to the 18/X27 doesn't reduce the PVR. If they kept the X27 on it's current route on the proposed 20 minute frequency they wouldn't need to change the 18 at all and it could stay as it is. The only saving that comes from these changes is one bus off the X27, however that's due to the frequency reduction and not the route change.

There's been no logic for a long time. I'm 53 now and have lived in Aberdeen all my life. It beggars belief some of the choices they have made regarding routes and pricing structures.

First are experts at cutting popular routes and creating ones that nobody wants. The whole 20mph thing has peed off lots of people too, especially in Dyce. 55 minutes for a 6 mile journey is obscene. The 18X & 21 worked well but they're long gone now.

They've no-one to blame but themselves and ACC wonder why they can't get car use down in Aberdeen.

Agreed, i feel sorry for Dyce residents.

Logically if we go back to the Pre July network what they should've done is the following.

Service 1: Every second bus goes to Ashwood via Whitestripes as a 1A

Service 1B: Increased to Every 20 Minutes

New Service 4: Old Service 4 reintroduced using the buses saved from the 8.

Service 8: Withdrawn (Replaced by the 1A/4 & Improved 1B)

Service 8A: Withdrawn

Service 17: Axe the Newhills - Dyce leg of the service.

Service 17A/18A: Withdrawn

Service 17B: Withdrawn

Service 18:
Service increased to Every 15 Minutes. Now diverts via Bankhead (goes along Bankhead Road after serving Mugiemoss) terminating at Prospect Terrace in Stoneywood, Two buses per hour (30 min frequency) extend to Dyce following the route of the current 17 (Via Riverview Dr N-Bound & Victoria St S-Bound).

New Service 18A:
Evening/Sunday variation of the 18 that goes via Woodside instead of Danestone.

New Service X18:
New Service operating from Queens Cross to Dyce via Woodside, Bucksburn, Stoneywood Road & Sictoria Street on a 15 Minute frequency Monday to Saturday Daytime (Last bus from town at around 19:30).

Service 19: New 19A variation to Danestone Evening/Sundays only for when the 18 does not operate..

Notes:
Services 17/X18 offer a 7/8 minute frequency from Music Hall to Howes Road.
Services 17/18 offer a 7/8 minute frequency to Kincorth.
Services 18/19 offer a 7/8 minute frequency to Tillydrone.
Service 1A/4 offer a 15 minute headway to/from the Whitestripes area.

Evenings/Sundays the X18/18 would not operate, instead the 17/18A would operate along their entire route. (Faulds Gate - Newhills & Charleston - Dyce) on a 30 minute frequency offering a 15 minute frequency between Kincorth and Haudagain Roundabout.

These ideas would likely only require a few extra buses (mostly due to the frequency increase on the 18), but would without a doubt stimulate growth while better meeting passenger needs.

 

[PaulMc7]

But the thing is the route change to the 18/X27 doesn't reduce the PVR. If they kept the X27 on it's current route on the proposed 20 minute frequency they wouldn't need to change the 18 at all and it could stay a sit is. The only saving that comes from these changes is one bus off the X27, however that's due to the frequency reduction and not the route change.



Agreed, i feel sorry for Dyce residents.

Logically if we go back to the Pre July network what they should've done is the following.

Yeah that's a very backwards change and that's what I was getting at with the lack of logic. It's almost like they just flip coins and pick an option when it comes to Aberdeen cuts

 

[Jordan Adam]

Yeah that's a very backwards change and that's what I was getting at with the lack of logic. It's almost like they just flip coins and pick an option when it comes to Aberdeen cuts

It's pretty evident the Network manager is one of the Larbert lot!

 

[PaulMc7]

It's pretty evident the Network manager is one of the Larbert lot!

Wouldn't trust whoever it is with a knife, would be cutting through everything in seconds

 

[overthewater]

Alas alot of the Larbert lot was cleaned out 2 years back and what is left is top notch. I wouldn't trust that Network manager, it goes in one ear and out the other..

 

[Jordan Adam]

Alas alot of the Larbert lot was cleaned out 2 years back and what is left is top notch. I wouldn't trust that Network manager, it goes in one ear and out the other..

It's a shame as certain when Dubford is concerned we were starting to see actual improvement and care (Not timing the 1B and 8 to depart at the same time for example). But these changes they're doing nothing but total destruction.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Registration number: PM0000631/220
Status: Registered
Service number: Gig N Go
Service type: Normal Stopping
Start point: P&J Live Aberdeen
Finish point: Holburn Junction, Alford Place
Via: Union Street, Broad Street, Great Northern Road
Date received: 30 Sep 2019
Effective date: 27 Nov 2019
Supported by subsidies?: No
Local authorities covered by route: Aberdeen City Council
TAOs covered by route: Scotland

 

[JumpinTrainz]

37636 has now been repainted, looks amazing!

That’ll be the one I saw this morning sitting outside the sheds at Caledonia. Looked really good!