First £1m Aberdeen investment

First Aberdeen has rolled out its premium Platinum service to route 13. The seven new ADL Enviro200 MMCs being introduced on the route represent a £1m investment. The upgraded service features free Wi-Fi and a ‘no-quibble guarantee’ to passengers, with the coaches featuring USB charging points, leather seats, wood effect flooring and audio visual next stop information. The drivers have been given extra customer service skills training. Running at a 20 minute frequency, the upgraded route operates from Scatterburn to Seaton via Mastrick, Holburn Junction and Aberdeen city centre. Platinum service is also provided on First Aberdeen’s 12 and 19 routes. Since launching in 2013, the operator claims both services have achieved ‘impressive’ levels of patronage growth while customer feedback has become ‘incredibly positive’.
MD of First Aberdeen, David Phillips, said, ‘We believe Platinum is the bus service for the next generation. This is the third Platinum route to be rolled out in the city, and we expect it to attract even more people out of the car and onto the bus. We’ve seen strong growth on our other two Platinum services since we launched the concept in 2013 and that’s in no small part down to the fact that they are the most customer focused bus services in the country. I firmly believe that making bus travel as attractive as possible will encourage more people to consider swapping private for public transport, easing congesting and improving air quality.’