Historic buses in Union Street

First Aberdeen partners with local businesses to celebrate 125 years of public transport in the city

  • First Aberdeen will do four giveaways throughout August
  • Gifts will range from ice cream to coffee to football tickets
  • Family Open Day taking place on 26th August

First Aberdeen is marking 125 years of public transport in Aberdeen with a month of celebration.

To thank Aberdonians for their support and to recognise the longstanding history of public transport in the city, the bus operator is partnering with local businesses to offer ‘125 acts of kindness’ each week of August.

Beginning August 7th, First Aberdeen will be shining a spotlight on local businesses by partnering with one each week to treat people across Aberdeen.

The bus operator will partner with Mackie’s 19.2 ice cream parlour, Aberdeen Football Club, Second Home Aberdeen and Vegan Bay Baker to give away a series of goodies to mark the anniversary.

  • Week commencing 7th August, Mackie's 19.2 will be giving out 125 free scoops of ice cream a day if you use the codeword 'First Bus Scoops’.
  • Week commencing 14th August, Aberdeen Football Club will give away 125 match tickets for upcoming fixtures. Head to www.firstaberdeen.com/acts and enter your details to be in with a chance to win!
  • Week commencing 21st August: Second Home Aberdeen will be giving out 125 coffees a day, Tuesday to Saturday inclusive. Head to www.firstaberdeen.com/acts or pop into Second Home Studio & Café to grab one of 125 free coffees each day. Offer available Week Commencing 21st August, open Tuesday to Saturday.
  • Week commencing 28th August: Vegan Bay Baker will offer 125 people free sweet treats each day. : Head to www.firstaberdeen.com/acts or head into their Aberdeen shop on Castle Street to nab a daily allocation of 125 free butteries, tray bakes and cupcakes! Offer available Week Commencing 28th August, open Tuesday to Saturday.

Historic buses by Mercat Cross

As well as gifting 125 acts of kindness to mark this milestone anniversary, First Aberdeen will also host an Open Day at its King Street depot on Saturday 26th August.

Vintage vehicles dating as far back as 1930 will be on display alongside First Aberdeen’s new fleet of electric and hydrogen buses. With food stalls, balloon modelling, face painting and even the chance to go through the bus wash, fun activities will be put on for all the family.

Duncan Cameron, Managing Director of First Bus Scotland said: “It’s great to be able to celebrate this milestone for public transport in Aberdeen with the people who we’ve been serving over the past 125 years. Public transport in the city can be traced back across generations in Aberdeen and we’re proud to have been a constant in people’s lives, growing and developing side by side with our brilliant city.

“As we partner with local businesses, we hope that our acts of kindness and month of celebration will give a little something back to the local community and celebrate the great offerings of Aberdeen.

“But while we take this time to reflect our many years of serving Aberdeen, we’re always looking to the future. Today we’re continuing to invest in a reliable and sustainable bus service for tomorrow as we look forward to continuing to serve Aberdeen for many years to come."

First Aberdeen can trace its roots back to 1898 when the Aberdeen Corporation Tramways were first introduced. Its fleet is made up of over 100 buses - 40 per cent of which is now emission free following the delivery of 24 new electric vehicles back in July.

ENDS

Notes to editors

About First Bus

First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks.

We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland.

First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.

First Bus is an equal opportunity employer

First Bus is an excellent place to work with opportunities for a rewarding career. 

We are committed to equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We believe diverse experiences and attitudes help us better understand the needs of our customers.

For more information on First Bus: news-scot.firstbus.co.uk