Aberdeen City Council make amendments to bus gates
It comes after an emergency meeting was held to decide on the future of the Experimental Traffic Order.
Aberdeen City councillors have voted to claw back on some bus gate measures following an emergency meeting at the Town House today.
With immediate effect, Union Street's Adelphi bus gate will be suspended allowing traffic to travel westbound, southbound down Market Street with a left turn only onto Trinity Quay.
Additionally, a review has been ordered into the feasibility of re-opening Bridge Street to traffic in one or both directions and the removal of the ban on right turns from Union Terrace onto Rosemount Viaduct.
A timeline on how long the review could take was not provided, however Aberdeen City Council said it will be conducted "as soon as possible".
Following the meeting, a statement issued by the local authority read: "The Council is engaging with bus operators, business organisations, and other stakeholders to explore options for delivering the City Centre Masterplan."
"Hugely disappointed"
Over the past month, traders have united together to campaign for amendments to be made to the bus priority routes in order to encourage people back into the city centre.
The news has been met with disappointment by some, with Aberdeen Inspired's Adrian Watson claiming the issue has been 'kicked into the long grass'.
He said: “We are hugely disappointed the council has refused to listen to traders and businesses’ plea to immediately lift the chokehold of the bus gates on the future of Aberdeen’s city centre
“Struggling businesses needed a Common Sense Compromise reached today, instead the council has kicked it into the long grass, other than a minor concession on the Market Street bus gate that simply doesn’t go far enough.
“Traders don’t have the luxury of time to wait for more feasibility studies. They wanted and needed action today – not reports back “as soon as possible”. And there is still no mention of looking at the economic impact of the bus gates on businesses.
“The city council has today let down the city traders, put many of them at risk of going under and jeopardised the future of the heart of Aberdeen.
“At the very least these new studies must be expedited as quickly as possible and full and meaningful engagement take place with businesses and business organisations as a matter of urgency.”
Short and long-term options to be explored
On Monday, bus operators, stakeholders and businesses attended a roundtable with the local authority to discuss the best option for the experimental traffic order going forward.
Following the meeting, a joint statement was issued which read: “Aberdeen City Council, bus operators, business organisations, and other stakeholders met today to discuss the presence of bus gates, the reported impact on city centre businesses, and accessibility.
"It was agreed to meet again to explore both short and long-term options to address the challenges raised. Everyone is committed to working together to ensure that Aberdeen continues to prosper and meets the aspirations mapped out by the City Centre Masterplan.”
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