Aberdeen bus services 'not meeting expectations'

Date: 8/4/2010

The Scottish transport watchdog has condemned the quality of bus services being offered by FirstGroup in Aberdeen.

An inspection into the firm's operations in the city found that the services were among the least punctual and are consistently late, the Scotsman reports.

Joan Aitken, traffic commissioner for Scotland, ordered the inquiry after complaints from local residents, despite efforts from First Aberdeen to alter timetables in order to improve the punctuality of the buses.

"Something has got to be done to make buses better in Aberdeen as they are not good – they are pretty dire actually," Ms Aitken reportedly said after hearing the results of the report.

FirstGroup has a target for 95 per cent of its buses to leave their start points on time, however the study showed that it was not meeting this aim.

Bus services in a number of areas across England will benefit as a result of £15 million funding announced recently by transport minister Sadiq Khan.