Should the council run the Aberdeen Rapid Transit system?

By Kieran Beattie

December 8 2022, 5:00 pm

An artist's impression of what the Aberdeen Rapid Transit project could look like on Union Street, under ambitious plans. Image: Nestrans

A prominent SNP councillor says the local authority could take the wheel and operate the planned Aberdeen Rapid Transit service.

Last month, the regional transport body Nestrans officially launched a joint campaign to bring the £150 million Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) idea to life.

They are working on the project alongside Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils, First Bus and Stagecoach.

If the proposals get the green light, a fleet of vehicles similar to normal buses would be introduced to Aberdeen.

An artist’s impression of one of the stops for the proposed Aberdeen Rapid Transit plan. Image: Nestrans.

But unlike traditional buses, they would be much larger, and would be designed to take passengers quickly and efficiently across the city and even into Aberdeenshire.

The plans are still in the very early stages, and the finer details have yet to be considered — such as who would operate it.

But SNP councillor Alex McLellan, convener of the city council’s finance and resources committee, has floated the idea that Aberdeen City Council could run the proposed public transport system.

SNP finance convener of Aberdeen City Council Alex McLellan, also a Tillydrone councillor, says the ruling partnership remains "firmly committed" to building the new school. Picture by Wullie Marr/DCT Media. — SNP councillor Alex McLellan, convener of the finance and resources committee. Image: Wullie Marr/DCT Media.

‘A service perhaps ran by the council’ could be down the road for the Aberdeen Rapid Transit scheme

Yesterday, Mr McLellan was taking part in a debate on the potential for Aberdeen City Council to run its own bus services.

Although councillors decided against pursuing that approach at this time, Mr McLellan said “that’s not to say this partnership isn’t committed to providing better public transport for all communities across Aberdeen”.

He brought up a recent visit by councillors and Nestrans to Belfast to see the city’s Belfast Glider transit system, which is very similar to what is envisioned for the ART.

The Belfast Glider is a transit system similar to what could be developed for the north-east with the Aberdeen Rapid Transit plan. Image: DITB.

The councillor said that there is potential for Aberdeen City Council to operate the ART.

Mr McLellan said: “Certainly all options, including a service perhaps ran by the council will be looked at, as that [The ART] is brought forward.

“And that would be a bus service for the city that could perhaps be delivered by the local authority, or partners, in some way.

“We are not discounting that option at all”.

What routes would the the Aberdeen Rapid Transit system take?

An initial Nestrans map, showing early ideas of where the ART routes would travel. Image: Nestrans

An initial map from Nestrans shows the ART system with two main routes that intersect in the city centre.

One runs from Craibstone to Portlethen, and the other from the Bridge of Don to Westhill.

During the discussion of a council-run bus service, Mr McLellan said he appreciates the ART “is not proposed for every street in the city, but it’s certainly for key routes”.

Who do you think should run the Aberdeen Rapid Transit?

So far our readers are split on if they think the ART would improve transport in Aberdeen.

Last month, Nestrans director Rab Dickson, former head of transport at Aberdeen City Council said it’s too early right now to say if ART would be operated by First, Stagecoach, Nestrans or Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire councils — or a combination of any and all of them.

He said there are many options for how it could be run, such as through a “partnership, it could be done through a franchise, or it could be done by establishing an arm’s length company”.

But who do you think should operate the service, if it does get the go ahead?