Bus forum

Bus forums are held to let interested groups and passengers discuss local bus services. We want to hear from you and let you know what is happening to Aberdeenshire bus services. 

The objectives of the forums are to: 

  • Discuss and review council funded and commercial local bus services
  • Provide the community with updates on service development
  • Understand the community’s public transport needs
  • Allow informed public scrutiny of existing and proposed service provision
  • Consult on public transport policies and proposals

Please don't use the forum for queries about operational issues on a specific bus service or issues with bus infrastructure (bus stops, shelters). You should contact the operator or Passenger Transport Unit at the time of the issue, so the appropriate action can be taken.

Who attends the forum

The bus forums are open to the public and are normally attended by:

  • Bus users
  • Community councils
  • Business representatives
  • Youth groups
  • Senior citizen groups
  • Disabled interest groups
  • Councillors
  • Community transport providers
  • Operators of commercial and supported bus services
  • Any other individuals or groups expressing an interest in public transport

Meetings

Typical agenda:

  1. Welcome and introductions
  2. Passenger Transport Unit update
  3. Stagecoach update
  4. Question and answers

We will publish details of future events as soon as available. 

December 2023 forum

Thank you to all that attended the forum on 7th December 2023 and those that submitted questions. We received many questions and comments which will help us to understand your thoughts and concerns regarding bus services and the format of the forum.

Because we saw such a high level of engagement before and during the event some people may have felt they did not get their point addressed. That is why we committed at the start of the event to provide post event responses, and therefore questions and comments raised before and during the meeting are included on this page along with a response. Some duplicate questions or comments have been omitted.  

View questions and answers (PDF 318KB).

The bus forum in the new online format was well attended and we know we reached people who previously did not attend in-person meetings. We are aware of concerns that some people may have found it difficult to attend, even though a telephone dial-in option was available for those wishing to join by landline.  

We are reviewing the feedback from the survey that some attendees took time to complete after the forum and will take this into account in future event planning along with other comments received. It is unlikely we will move back to the same type of multiple in-person bus forum events at multiple locations across Aberdeenshire that had been in place for many years.  As part of our future planning for engagement on passenger transport issues we will be considering how we can encourage as wide a level of participation as we can using the many lines of communication that you as members of the public have available to you.  

As part of that process we are also considering when and how we hold future forum events, taking into account suggestions received for localised or topic-based agendas. This is to be decided and when we have a plan for the next forum we will publish the details on this page and through other communication channels.  

As flagged in the session on 7th December 2023, the move to online meetings reduces costs, reduces travel to help meet climate change targets and supports the council’s digital strategy. 

We encourage complaints about specific bus journeys or services to be raised with the relevant bus operator at the time they occur, providing as much detail as possible. Similarly, comments or requests related to infrastructure or information can be raised directly with the Passenger Transport Unit rather than waiting for a forum meeting.

View the recording of the meeting.

Contact

View public transport contact details, including council services and bus operators.