There’s one last stop on the road to Thursday’s general election for candidates in Aberdeen – with all eyes on the city council on Wednesday and the choice to be made on the bus gates.
As the politicians court your vote in the national poll, thousands in and around Aberdeen are urging their local reps to find middle ground in their work to improve the city centre.
Councillors are poised to make the recent “experimental” change in Aberdeen city centre, including the bus gates, permanent on Wednesday.
But the Press and Journal and local businesses have come together to advocate for greater change – a Common Sense Compromise to help businesses flourish.
Will those looking to be your MP in Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South sign up to our petition, and back the desperately needed change?
Where we are and what the Common Sense Compromise endorses
Last August, bus gates were installed around Market Street, Guild Street and Bridge Street.
Other measures, like the one-way and pedestrian-priority areas on Schoolhill and ban on right turns out of Union Terrace were also imposed.
It was all done using an experimental traffic regulation order (Etro), which allows for easier tweaks to the layout, but also sidestepped public consultation until after it was all installed.
Our Common Sense Compromise asks for:
- Keep the Guild Street bus gates, along with restrictions on Schoolhill and Upperkirkgate.
- Remove the bus gates at the Adelphi and Market Street, allowing access in both directions through Market Street.
- Remove the bus gates on Bridge Street, allowing full access in both directions.
- Remove the right turn ban on Union Terrace.
- Issue a warning rather than a fine to first offenders.
- Use fines to help city centre businesses via transport initiatives.
So do the Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South candidates back our bus gate campaign?
We asked candidates if they would back the Common Sense Compromise, and why or why not.
We approached all candidates standing in Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South, using email addresses supplied to Who Can I Vote For?
Aberdeen North: Who backs our bus gate compromise?
There are nine candidates vying for votes in Aberdeen North. But only four were willing to tell us their views.
First of all city candidates to reply was Conservative candidate Gillian Tebberen, who supports and has signed our petition.
She said: “The SNP/Lib Dem administration in Aberdeen City appears to be anti-business and anti-resident.
“We should be encouraging people into, not away, from the city centre.”
Alba’s Charlie Abel has also signed up, calling our Common Sense Compromise “the minimum we can do to keep our city centre alive”.
He added: “I’ve noticed first hand the rapid degeneration of our city centre and the lack of footfall.
“When business and 90% of the public recognise a negative impact, it’s imperative that councillors listen and correct their well-intentioned mistake.”
He told us the “hostile approach” was making motorists “unwitting law breakers” and raised the impact on people with mobility issues.
Aberdeen North: No backing from SNP candidate Blackman
SNP candidate Kirsty Blackman urged her party colleagues running the council to “carefully listen to all suggestions”.
She told us: “Councillors should make an informed decision based on both evidence and the representations that have been received.”
More than 500 people objected to the Etro during the council’s official consultation.
But Ms Blackman also highlighted that a third of Aberdeen households don’t have access to a car, making bus travel necessary for many.
And she urged bus companies to use any savings as a result of the bus gates to make fares cheaper.
“I support measures to reduce the impact of air pollution and to make public transport cheaper in our city.
“I do understand that businesses are unhappy during this period of adjustment, but reductions in footfall of those travelling by car cannot wholly be explained by changes to the transport system,” she added, referencing the cost of living and shift to online shopping.
Bus gate compromise ‘complex’ for Aberdeen council admin
Administration councillor and Lib Dem Aberdeen North candidate Desmond Bouse did not back the compromise either.
He said it was “complex situation” due to a threat from chief planner David Dunne, that the Scottish Government could bill Aberdeen City Council for £8m if there were “major changes” to the bus gates.
“I entirely support the proposal to partially reopen traffic on upper Market Street to southbound traffic,” he told us.
That is not a huge surprise, since it was tweak was brought forward by Lib Dem council co-leader Ian Yuill in early June.
What do Aberdeen South candidates think?
On to Aberdeen South, where six of eight candidates responded.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has already told us his former city council colleagues should have a “fairly robust and open conversation” with businesses “on the line”.
When approached again, he told us: “I would expect these proposals to be assessed in full by councillors as they will have sight of traffic modelling which will make it clear if it is practical or not to implement.
“Ultimately, we all share the goal of making Union Street a destination to enjoy, rather than simply a transit route through the city centre.”
Meanwhile, Conservative candidate in Aberdeen South, John Wheeler, is “more than happy” to support our campaign.
“I would probably have gone a bit further but appreciate why this approach has been adopted in the spirit of compromise.
“We need to start listening to business owners and supporting businesses in the city.
“These measures are a good start to making it easier for people to access them and will hopefully see some of the lost footfall return to our city centre.”
Aberdeen South: Pedestrianisation fight will be reignited before polling day
Meanwhile, Labour candidate M Tauqeer Malik – whose council Labour group voted to rerun the bus gate debate at full council on Wednesday – hinted at going even further than our suggested compromise.
“The proposals on offer are common sense, however they lack one more common sense proposal and that is pedestrianisation of the middle section of Union Street.
“The compromise on offer looks to benefit the city and of course our position will be to support them.”
Strap yourself in for well rehearsed arguments on pedestrianisation of Union Street, again, before polling day.
Aberdeen South: Shots left, shots right, and inward from Lib Dem Goodhall
Aberdeenshire councillor Jeff Goodhall is the Lib Dem candidate in Aberdeen South.
And it looks like he will be piling the pressure on his four city council colleagues to back our Common Sense Compromise.
“Having read the proposals to alter the bus gate system, I find it a fair compromise and I believe when we politicians introduce a scheme and it proves to have negative effects, we must change course and either redesign it or bin it.
“In this case we should redesign, and I will do my part by taking this proposal to my Liberal Democrat colleagues on the city council and ask them to support this compromise.”
The Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford councillor also took aim at the Labour and Conservatives who ran Aberdeen City Council when the bus gate plans were signed off.
“Our once proud Aberdeen city centre is now a ‘Doughnut City’ where there is nothing in the centre and most retail is on the periphery.
“What is the point of cleaner air if there are no shoppers or residents to breathe it?” he asks.
Reform’s Michael Pearce, another Aberdeen South candidate, backed the campaign.
He said the compromise would “help the struggling businesses within the city”, and also called for cheaper parking to entice more shoppers in.
Scottish Greens on Aberdeen bus gates: Don’t call it a cop out
Scottish Greens candidate for Aberdeen South Guy Ingerson couldn’t give The P&J an answer in the name of being a “grassroots, democratic party”.
“Unfortunately, our candidates and I cannot comment on this as our branch hasn’t had time to debate the Common Sense Compromise,” he explained.
“We won’t have a position on this until our next branch meeting which takes place after the election.”
Aberdeen bus gates ‘more complicated than a simple yes or no’
Meanwhile independent candidate Sophie Molly, dropped by the Greens earlier this year for calling JK Rowling a “torn faced cow“, did not back the Common Sense Compromise either.
“The issue of the bus gates is more complicated than simply yes or no.”
She told us she would support better Union Street access for those with mobility issues once the ongoing £60m revamp is completed.
Ms Molly did back our suggestion of warnings for first-time bus gate offenders in Aberdeen, as well as fines being used to help businesses by establishing things like park and ride schemes to the city centre.
So what have we learned?
While their election battle buses can go where they like in Aberdeen, it does look like party candidates looking for support at the polls on Thursday will put some pressure on councillors on the bus gates.
If the SNP and Lib Dems running the council vote on party lines, it will be down to them to decide as they have the numbers.
Councillor Desmond Bouse looks set to back the same limited change at the top of Market Street, which is pretty necessary anyway given the construction traffic that will need access to the market site in the coming months.
What’s more interesting is the difference in stance from fellow Lib Dem, “Doughnut City” doubter Jeff Goodhall, who agreed to campaign his city colleagues for greater change.
And then there’s the input of the senior SNP figures, Stephen Flynn and Kirsty Blackman.
Both stopped short of backing our Common Sense Compromise, while urging their councillors to make an “informed” decision after more talks with traders.
But with SNP councillors staffing both of their offices, they would very likely be aware of a behind-closed-doors meeting the council leadership had booked with business chiefs on Thursday afternoon.
So now that discussion box has been ticked… will any of the inside or outside pressure with the general election the following day bring a meaningful change of tact?
The front pages on polling day remain to be written.
A Common Sense Compromise on the Aberdeen bus gates and Etro
The Press and Journal is standing side by side with Aberdeen businesses and business organisations in an appeal to reach a Common Sense Compromise.
But we can’t do it alone – we need your help.
If you would like to back our Aberdeen bus gate campaign, add your name to the petition launched by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Other ways to show your support and have your voice heard can be found HERE.
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