Bus alliance for NE Scotland

A bus alliance is being formed in the North East of Scotland to oversee a new voluntary quality partnership. The North East of Scotland bus alliance, covering Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils, aims to arrest the decline in bus patronage by 2022. Fare-paying passenger numbers fell 7 per cent from 2015/16 to 2016/17 and are around 35 per cent down since 2009/10. The alliance will provide a framework for striking statutory partnership agreements on individual corridors, with work initially prioritising the A944/B9119 Westhill to Aberdeen; A96 Inverurie to Aberdeen; and A956 Wellington Road to Stonehaven. The board will be chaired by George Mair, director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport in Scotland, who is also an adviser to the board of Nestrans, the North East Scotland transport partnership.