Whilst on my recent trip to Belfast, I was greeted with a sight which has split opinion in Aberdeen for the past few years.
The Belfast “Glider” came whizzing past before coming to a stop halfway up The Falls Road.
I’d spent most of that afternoon wandering through the city’s west end without much of a plan, so I decided to hop on and see where it would take me.
And after a 10 minute trip, which flew by, I was convinced that this is exactly the thing the Granite City needs.
Aberdeen City Council chiefs have pointed towards the Belfast Glider as inspiration for their Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) scheme.
And whilst it’s been dismissed by some as a “fantasy project”, I feel it could get rid of that slightly miserable bus-shaped cloud that seems to always hang over the city.
What is it like riding on the Belfast Glider?
For those seeing the Glider for the first time, you’d be surprised at the absence of any tram tracks along its route.
The vehicles run on rubber wheels, but they are designed to be as similar to trams as possible, as they have similar functions.
Each carries up to 105 passengers and has multiple doors to speed up the pick-up and drop-off process.
Hopping on, I was at first confused at the lack of any ticket checks (I promise I did pay for one), but Belfast’s transport bigwigs say this helps make journeys as quick as possible.
And once we got moving, it felt like I had just pulled away from Paris’ Gare Du Nord or Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof.
The Belfast Glider is as sleek and efficient as any major European city’s metro. You wouldn’t believe you were “just on a bus”.
We fly down the road, only stopping for 15 seconds at each stop, completely sidestepping any faff you would have on a normal bus with buying a ticket from the driver.
So after a quick and smooth 10-minute journey, I was convinced this is what Aberdeen needs to drag itself into the 21st century.
What do you think about the Aberdeen Rapid Transit scheme? Let us know in our comments section below
If Belfast can do it, why can’t Aberdeen?
Now I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the council’s recent approach to public transport.
The bus gates are a prime example of this, having proved to be a bit of a disaster for local businesses and a headache for motorists like me.
And whilst I understand that the plans wouldn’t be possible without the contentious traffic measures, it could certainly convince some to begrudgingly accept the restrictions in return for an efficient service.
If the council can get the ART scheme to even half the level of Belfast’s, then it could be just what is needed to turn the public on the side of public transport.
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