Free Night Buses in Aberdeen Attract Over 6,000 Users During Holidays
Aberdeen’s free night bus service saw over 6,000 users during the festive season, prompting a review of its future.
Aberdeen, Scotland, Night Buses, Festive Season, Public Transport
Aberdeen: Over 6,000 folks hopped on the free night buses during the festive season. Pretty cool, right?
The city council funded these buses to help people get home safely from all the fun spots in town. They ran on weekends from mid-November to early January, covering key areas.
The service really picked up steam as Christmas approached, with more people heading into the city center. On Hogmanay, the buses were packed, carrying 841 passengers in just one night!
December weekends were especially busy, with over a thousand riders on the 14th and 15th, and again on the 21st and 22nd. It’s clear that people loved this service.
Now, the council is looking into what’s next for these weekend night buses after this trial run. Councillor Ian Yuill expressed his happiness about the turnout, saying it was great to see so many people using the service.
He mentioned that the buses were there to help folks get home from cafes, restaurants, and pubs late at night. And it seems like they did just that!
Another council leader, Christian Allard, also chimed in, saying it’s fantastic that so many took advantage of this safe transport option. Plus, it helped local businesses by giving people a reliable way to get home after a night out.
First Bus operated the service, funded by the city council using bus lane enforcement revenue. David Adam from First Aberdeen was thrilled to see the numbers grow each week, highlighting how it supported the city’s nightlife.
Adrian Watson from Aberdeen Inspired, who helped promote the service, noted that the turnout nearly doubled from last year. He believes this shows there’s a real need for night buses in Aberdeen.
Overall, it sounds like the free night bus service was a hit, and there’s hope for its future!