Area Bus Forums were established in Spring 2000 in each of Aberdeenshire Council’s 6 administrative areas, to act as the principal focus for consultation on public transport matters.

Objectives

The principal objectives of the Forums are to:

• discuss and review supported and commercial local bus services
• provide community and bus operator awareness of public transport needs and developments
• allow informed public scrutiny of existing and proposed service provision
• deal with requests for public transport infrastructure (bus stops, shelters etc)
• consult on public transport policies and proposals

The 6 Forums are held at accessible venues on weekday evenings, approximately every 6 months, and are grouped over a period of 4 to 6 weeks to allow decisions to be made on an equitable basis across Aberdeenshire.

Attendance

The Forums are open for attendance by:

• all local Community Councils
• local business representatives
• youth groups
• senior citizen groups
• disabled interest groups
• Councillors
• Community Transport providers
• operators of commercial and supported bus services
• bus users
• any other individuals/groups expressing an interest in public transport

Aberdeenshire Council can provide taxis and/or dedicated buses to the meetings, for those unable to access public or private transport.

The next Garioch Bus Forum is to be held in Westhill Academy (Staff Room) on Thursday 6th March 2014 from 7.30pm-9.00pm

I attach an Agenda along with relevant background papers from the previous meeting held on 11^th September 2013. Stagecoach Bluebird are operating a bus to/from the meeting (details attached). Should you require travel on the bus or transport to/from the Forum meeting, please contact Stuart Copland (Tel (01224) 664784) by noon on Monday 3^rd March 2014.

Garioch Bus Forum Agenda (6March2014)

Garioch Bus Forum Minutes (SEP 2013)

Do you need advice about travelling to and from your medical appointment?

The Transport to Healthcare Information Centre (THInC) can help. They provide practical transport advice for people who have difficulty getting to and from medical appointments in Grampian.

The service provides a dedicated telephone service offering guidance on accessing suitable transport options to get to and from appointments when they have no means of personal transport. The centre can provide details of suitable bus or train times, contact telephone numbers and other services such as local dial-a-bus or voluntary car schemes.

Please note that THInC does not book transport but can assist with travel advice.

The centre is the first of its kind in the UK and is a joint initiative between Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Moray Council, NHS Grampian, The Scottish Ambulance Service and Nestrans.  THInC is one of the projects taken forward as part of the Health and Transport Action Plan.

Please call THInC on 01343 567839 between 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday.  Calls are charged at local rate.

Further information on the Health and Transport Action Plan can be found on the Nestrans website. 

Stagecoach Bluebird is at the forefront of a green revolution on the roads in North East Scotland through its investment of almost £8m in new vehicles during 2012.

On Monday, 29th October, ten new vehicles entered service on the X17 Aberdeen-Elrick route coinciding with an increase in frequency of the route to operate every 10 minutes during the daytime Monday-Saturday, with a bus every 30 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays. Each of the new vehicles are built to the very latest Euro V emission level and will produce almost 20% less carbon emissions than the vehicles they replace.

The buses are fitted with free customer wi-fi, thanks to the support of Aberdeenshire Council.

It was a pleasure to attend the launch of the new fleet last Friday.

Top picture shows Gordon Prentice (Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce), Andrew Jarvis (Managing Director, Stagecoach Bluebird) and Cllr Iris Walker

As from 29 October 2012, service frequencies for service X17/N17 are to be increased throughout most operating periods, the most significant of which is the creation of a 10 minute frequency throughout most of the daytime (Monday to Friday) and during the inter-peak and pm peak periods on Saturdays.

The other good news is that all journeys will then serve Carnie Crescent (Elrick), in an anti-clockwise direction, providing a more convenient service for residents of the surrounding housing development.

Full timetables will be available from Bluebird shortly.

As from 29th October 2012, the following journey withdrawals will commence on route Alford-Aberdeen via Dunecht, Elrick, Westhill (Hillside Road, Hilltop Turning Circle & Old Skene Road) and ARI:

2248 hrs ex Elrick-Aberdeen (Union Square) (Monday to Saturday)  

0600 hrs ex Aberdeen (Union Square)-Elrick (Monday to Friday)

2205 hrs ex Aberdeen (Union Square)-Elrick (Monday to Saturday)

An alternative departure is provided at 2235 hrs via the same route (see below).

Journey re-routings/re-timings:

1750 hrs ex Aberdeen Royal Infirmary-Alford (Monday to Saturday) is to depart at 1800 hrs

2340 hrs ex Aberdeen (Union Square)-Alford (Monday to Saturday) via Queen’s Road, Westhill (Hay’s Way), Elrick, Garlogie, Echt and Dunecht (Monday to Friday) is advanced to depart at 2235 hrs, in response to requests, and is re-routed via ARI, Lang Stracht and Westhill (Hillside Road, Hilltop Turning Circle and Old Skene Road)

There is an alternative departure from Aberdeen to Westhill/Elrick via Queen’s Road (service X17) departing at 2340 hrs.