Today, a joint campaign was launched to bring a £150 million transport scheme to Aberdeen, dubbed the “Aberdeen Rapid Transit” project.
The ambitious plans for the scheme are being worked on by the regional transport partnership Nestrans, alongside Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils, First Bus and Stagecoach.
If approved, a fleet of vehicles would be introduced to Aberdeen similar to normal buses, but much larger, which would be designed to take passengers quickly and efficiently through Aberdeen.
Although the proposals are in early stages, it is intended the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) project would travel routes from the city centre out to the Bridge of Don, Portlethen, Craibstone, and Kingswells (and potentially out to Westhill).
In an interview with the P&J, Nestrans director Rab Dickson explained exactly how the envisioned system would work in practice, and said it would be a “top of the range public transport service”.
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What do the business community, and transport campaigners think of the proposals?
The ART proposals have already generated a great deal of interest and opinions from all sorts of individuals and organisations.
Russel Borthwick, chief executive of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks the ART ideas are an “innovative and exciting development in moving people into and from the city centre”.
But he believes it would only be a “small part of the jigsaw, and cannot be the sum total of our ambition for a future transport system within the region.”
He continued: “While ART is about moving people onto public transport, we have to recognise the practical geography and demography of a uniquely interdependent city and shire region, and that private transport will remain an important part of the mix.
“With this in mind, it’s vital that cars and buses have shared priority and a critical piece of decarbonising transport needs to be wholesale shift to hydrogen, electric vehicles (EVs) and low emission vehicles (LEVs) — and the charging capacity and infrastructure in all parts of our region to enable that to happen.”
Aberdeen Rapid Transit may be good for Aberdeen, ‘but we need to see the same ambition echoed in the shire’
Jordan Jack, train driver and part of the Campaign for North East Rail to reconnect Peterhead and Fraserburgh to the rail network, said he thinks it’s “fantastic to see ambition and excitement for new public transport in the region”.
He also hailed the “willingness to work together between Nestrans, the councils and industry”.
But he questioned the impact on the wider north-east beyond the Granite City.
He said: “ART may be great for the city and surrounding towns, but we need to see the same ambition echoed in the shire.
Peterhead and Fraserburgh are the largest towns, the furthest from a railway station anywhere in the UK.
“If we are serious about tackling climate change, that has to change.
“We can achieve a future where people can take reliable, fast, carbon free trains to Aberdeen, and jump on Aberdeen Rapid Transport to continue their journey, wherever they may be heading to in the city.
“Joined up thinking and connected systems is what makes the difference.”
‘Aberdeen Rapid Transit has very real potential’ says Aberdeen Inspired chief executive
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, thinks the ART idea “has the very real potential to add value to our regional connectivity, in effectively and efficiently bringing people in and out of our city centre.”
He said: “We are also reassured that the public will be engaged in this process throughout, and with that the business community as it is essential that Aberdeen City Centre is accessible to all, and the scheme compliments and/or builds on existing transport.
“If we get this right, ART can play its part in bringing the much-needed footfall into the heart of our city.”
How much is a ticket? How are they different from taking the bus? Who would be paying for all of this? Find out more about the Aberdeen Rapid Transit plan here:
You can visit the official ART website here.
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