Multi-million pound plans for the future of Broad Street have been thrown into doubt after senior councillors said a fresh look should be given to making it entirely traffic-free.
Proposals to fully pedestrianise the central thoroughfare were watered down after protests from Stagecoach and First Bus about the impact on services.
Councillors eventually voted for a compromise scheme allowing only buses and bicycles and work has been underway for months to transform the area outside the local authority’s Marischal College HQ.
But voices are now being raised again in favour of a ban on buses, with Lord Provost Barney Crockett among those pushing for a re-think.
The Labour former council leader said a representative of First had told a public meeting he attended that the lengthy closure caused by delays to the work had caused “less disruption than they expected”.
And with the with the council’s head of planning admitting this month the development may now not be finished in “spring or summer” 2018, he is not the only one calling for the decision to be re-examined.
Last night Aberdeen Labour depute leader M. Tauqeer Malik said: “Given by the time Broad Street is finally open it will be at least one year since buses used the street, and as the masterplan was to be a fluid document, consideration should be given as to the benefits or otherwise of full pedestrianisation.
“Given the council’s commitment to air quality, maybe now is the time to reconsider full pedestrianisation.”
Both transport operators insisted Broad Street remained an important part of their routes which they looked forward to getting back open as soon as possible.
Last June councillors voted for the plan with work with the street closed off to all traffic in March, although restrictions had been in place on and off since November 2015.
Mr Crockett said: “My memory of the meeting is that the First representative said that they had had less disruption than they expected from the meeting,” he said.
“My aspiration has always been that we could have a fully pedestrianised area in front of Marischal College.
“We have to work with the bus companies but full pedestrianisation would be our aspiration certainly.”
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill, whose group have always championed full-pedestrianisation of the street, said he would welcome a change of heart.
But Conservative group leader Douglas Lumsden said: “A decision was made by the last administration and we shouldn’t be making U-turns four months into a new administration.”
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn said the full pedestrianisation plan was “an intriguing suggestion”.
He said: “We will look at any suggestions on this issue but it is important that there are no knee jerk reactions.”
Marie Boulton, leader of the independent group, said that she “wasn’t adverse to the idea” but that “thorough traffic modelling” would be required before any change of plan.
A Stagecoach spokeswoman said: “We are looking forward to Broad Street reopening with bus priority helping to make bus a more attractive choice for travel into the city and to reconnect our customers with the businesses on Broad Street and nearby that are affected by the works.”
A First spokesman said: “We eagerly await the reopeining of this important corridor.”