The new community at Countesswells is to get its first bus route.
Stagecoach North Scotland and Countesswells Development Limited (CDL) have entered the consultation period of the bus service registration process with Aberdeen City Council to provide a dedicated bus route for the growing number of residents in the new community to the west of the city.
To date the infrastructure brought onto the site includes new roads, utilities and fibre optic broadband and, along with the landscaping, represents £15m of investment into the new community.
CDL will now invest privately with partners Stagecoach North Scotland to deliver the much sought-after bus route.
The new public transport links will be a welcome addition to the community which already boasts significant inter-community connectivity including improved green space that allows walkers, cyclists and horse-riders to travel from one woodland to another, as well as the fastest broadband speeds in the country.
Community liaison officer, Karen Watt is pleased to finally be able to give existing and future residents a timescale for the provision of public transport links. She said: “Since residents first moved in we have been working tirelessly with relevant stakeholders to bring forward solutions for public transport options to Countesswells and I’m pleased we have finally arrived at a solution to service the growing number of residents.
“Having considered various approaches including new routes and services, we have worked with Stagecoach to offer a bespoke service between Countesswells and Kingswells Park and Ride.”
The new number 44 service, which is planned to launch in summer 2019 will be operated by Stagecoach North Scotland and provide a half hourly, 6-day service (Monday – Saturday) operating until 7pm between Countesswells and the Kingswells Park and Ride. Fares will provide through travel from Countesswells to the city centre, valid on the number 44 and X17 services.
Daniel Laird, commercial director for Stagecoach North Scotland explained: “We are committed to making bus travel easy for everyone to access and we have worked closely with Countesswells Development Limited to design a service that offers an affordable and frequent connection to both Aberdeen and Westhill for the new community. The new service will benefit from the range of advances we have introduced in travelling by bus including live bus tracking through our mobile app and contactless payment facilities on board.”
Mrs Watt added: “Subject to approval from the Council and with the backing of Stagecoach North Scotland, this further shows our commitment to making Countesswells a truly exceptional place in which to live, work and play.”
For more details about Countesswells, please visit: https://www.countesswells.com.
