City centre bus priority routes (bus gates)

The new road layout in the city centre created a bus priority route, while still providing access for pedal cycles, taxis, goods vehicles and private hire vehicles.

The bus priority route is minimising the amount of traffic on Bridge Street, Guild Street (between Wapping Street and Market Street), Market Street (north of Guild Street), and collectively Union Street, Castle Street and King Street (between the junctions with Market Street and West North Street). The route complements the bus priority route already established on central Union Street between its junctions with Bridge Street and Market Street.

The measures will ease congestion on the core city centre routes travelled by buses, resulting in less travel time which will ultimately benefit bus passengers. Likewise, it will also benefit the reliability of bus services by ensuring they are not subject to excessive delay at peak times.

The removal of general through-traffic from these roads will also lead to an improved environment for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly considering the large volume of pedestrians travelling between Union Street and Union Square/railway and bus stations during the day. It could in the longer term lead to streetscape improvements.
 

Through-traffic, apart from buses, cycles, and taxis, is banned from Market Street (north of Guild Street), Guild Street (east of Wapping Street), and Bridge Street.

Motorists can still get to destinations, just by using a different route than they’re used to. Access continues to car parks in the city centre.

Two maps showing the area with the arterial routes in the city, and another showing alternative routes, are below.

Bus gates have been created on the bottom of Market Street at its junction with Guild Street to prevent traffic from going straight on, the east side of Guild Street, and the south of Bridge Street. The bus gate at Union Street/Market Street junction has been removed for traffic including delivery vehicles needing access to the top part of Market Street. It should be noted that motorists using the top part of Market Street can only turn left at the Market Street/Guild Street junction.

An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) is a legal order which is advertised, made, and brought into force to coincide with the restrictions being implemented on site. An ETRO can only be in force for up to 18 months. The first six months of operation provides the opportunity for the public, businesses, organisations etc. to comment on how the scheme is working. The Council, acting as the Local Roads Authority, then has the following 12 months to consider all the comments received, while also reviewing the performance of the measures, and conclude whether the ETRO should become permanent. In addition, during the first 12 months of operation the Council can also make limited modifications to the operation of the ETRO and instigate a further six-month period inviting public comments.

The benefit of an ETRO is it provides the community with the opportunity to experience the proposed restrictions, rather than asking them to comment on something that is theoretical. Similarly, it also allows the Local Authority to review the on-going performance of restrictions and make modifications if judged necessary.
 

A fine will be issued to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

No. Vehicle access is maintained to the area by using the B983 (Denburn Road, Wapping Street, College Street, South College Street), Palmerston Place, and the A956 (North Esplanade West, Market Street, Trinity Quay, Virginia Street and Commerce Street).

There has also been improvements to South College Street and Palmerston Place to help re-routing general traffic. Further information can be viewed here.

All public car parks can still be accessed, via the B983 (Denburn Road, Wapping Street, College Street, South College Street), Palmerston Place, the A956 (North Esplanade West, Market Street, Trinity Quay, Virginia Street and Commerce Street).

Please consider parking in the side of the city you are heading to, and walking to other destinations:

• If you are heading to the south side of the city centre, the main car parks are-

          College Street, NCP Shiprow, Trinity Centre, and Union Square

• If you are heading to the north of the city centre, the main car parks are: -

          Frederick Street, Gallowgate, Harriet Street (Bon Accord Centre), Loch Street (Bon Accord Centre) and West North Street.

• If you are heading to the west of the city centre, the main car parks are: -

          Chapel Street and Denburn.
 

Vehicles displaying blue badges cannot travel through any bus gates or on any bus lane in the city, however, car parks and on-street parking facilities in the city centre remain fully accessible by alternative routes. The locations of dedicated blue badge parking facilities can be viewed on the below map:

Blue badge spaces in the city centre are available in car parks and on-street blue badge bays:

Car parks - Denburn, Bon Accord shopping centre (Loch Street and Harriet Street), Gallowgate, Shiprow, Union Square shopping centre, Trinity shopping centre, and College Street.

On-street blue badge parking bays -

Rose St & Chapel Street, Golden Square & South Silver Street, Crown Street, Union Terrace, Green (various locations), Back Wynd & Correction Wynd, Upperkirkgate & Flourmill Lane, Littlejohn Street, Queen Street, Loch Street, John Street, Schoolhill west, Schoolhill east, Lower Denburn, and Spa Street.

Vehicles displaying a valid disabled persons’ badge, can park in Aberdeen City Council-operated car parks free of charge, while the same applies to any on-street pay & display/pay by phone bay.

The railway station car park remains accessible by way of Wapping Street, with either Denburn Road or College Street providing approach routes. This car park, which is operated by ScotRail, has four blue badge parking bays.

The Union Square and College Street Car Parks can also serve the railway station and bus station car parks. Blue badge passengers can alight or board a car on a section of double yellow lines beside the Leonardo Hotel building at Union Square (Google Street View: -https://goo.gl/maps/tuTR8oGF1QJMqmnZ8). The car can get access to this space by turning right from Exchange Street to access Guild Street.

You can view how to get to this blue badge drop off/picked up point on the below map:

Access to properties, businesses, and the Trinity Centre car park will be maintained by accessing the area via The Denburn and South College Street rather than via Market Street/Guild Street/Bridge Street.

Access is maintained to the railway and bus station drop off/pick up points (College Street Car Park and at Union Square) but you may have to take a different route to avoid the bus gates.

Below is a map showing the drop off/pick up points.

Blue badge passengers can alight or board a car on a section of double yellow lines beside the Leonardo Hotel building at Union Square (Google Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/tuTR8oGF1QJMqmnZ8). The car can get access to this space by turning right from Exchange Street to access Guild Street.

You can view how to get to this blue badge drop off/picked up point on the below map:

Alternative routes for general coming in from the north include Wellington Street, Regent Quay, Virginia Street & Market Street.

These streets can also be used for motorists coming from the south and going to the beach area.

Here is a map showing these routes:-

Yes. These roads would be accessed for parking on-street, loading or unloading goods, allowing passengers to board/alight and accessing off-street parking facilities.
 

In the event of an emergency, Police Scotland could take control and direct traffic through bus gates, or similarly ACC could put in place emergency signage directing traffic through bus gates or bus lanes. In this scenario, the bus gate or lane concerned would be out of operation for the duration of the emergency closure, with enforcement suspended.
 

Between the hours of 4.30pm and 11am, any type of motor vehicle is permitted to enter the Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate Pedestrian & Cycle Zone for the purpose of actively loading/unloading goods or work associated with adjacent premises, eg general repairs and maintenance.
 

This restriction has been put in place to prevent Union Street being used as a general through-route for traffic at the moment.
 

A ‘goods vehicle’ is a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use for the carriage or haulage of goods or burden of any description. This specification is dependent on how the vehicle is registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), so where a vehicle is classed as a Goods Vehicle it will be specified on the V5C registration document as N1, N2 or N3. The classification can also be checked by inputting the vehicle registration at the following UK Government web page: - Check Vehicle tax

https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

While the web page highlighted is principally to check the status of vehicle tax, it also specifies the “Vehicle type approval”, which, as highlighted, will be N1, N2, or N3 if classed as a Goods Vehicle.

A Light Goods Vehicle, such as a car derived van, or a larger van, weighing 3.5T or less, will be specified as N1, while heavier vehicles will be N2 and N3. Further information can be found via the following link: -

https://www.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/vehicle-type-approval/what-is-vehicle-type-approval/type-approval-category-definitions/#23_Category_N_%E2%80%93_Power-driven_vehicles_having_at_least_four_wheels_and_used_for_the_carriage_of_goods
 

A bus is a vehicle manufactured or adapted to carry nine or more passengers, exclusive of the driver.

We encourage people to walk, cycle or take public transport where they can and bus lanes and bus gates are part of continuing to build an infrastructure to facilitate this. 

Restrictions are vital to ensuring a managed flow of traffic and that is the prime aim of the cameras, rather than generating revenue. 

The ability to use the net surplus of funds from the Bus Lane Enforcement for transport projects allows the City Council to deliver a much greater range of projects for the benefit of its residents and the travelling public.

An online public consultation is taking place at THE ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL (CITY CENTRE, ABERDEEN) (TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT) (EXPERIMENTAL) ORDER 2023 - Aberdeen City Council - Citizen Space .