First Aberdeen is celebrating its 125th anniversary by bringing back the design of one of its buses from the 1970s and 1980s.
The operator has painted one of its fleet, an Alexander Dennis Enviro500, in the green, cream and orange heritage livery that was seen on its Leyland Atlantean buses for around 15 years.
Today marks the start of several months of celebrations, which will culminate on 26 August – the day on which First Aberdeen’s predecessor, Aberdeen Corporation Tramway, began operations in 1898. The finale will involve an open day at First Aberdeen’s King Street depot in which historic buses from as far back as 1930 will be exhibited alongside modern-day vehicles.
Today’s fleet of 98 includes zero-emission hydrogen buses and it will soon comprise its first electric vehicles.
David Adam, who started with First Aberdeen 44 years ago as a driver and is now Head of Operations, says: “It’s funny seeing these old buses return. It takes me back to the days of driving around with three layers of clothing, with my New Romantics-style Arran jumper on to ward off the cold before we had central heating installed.
“I started out as a bus driver at just 21 and remember having to stand up to put all my effort into turning the steering wheel on buses that looked like this, before we had widespread power steering.
“When I left school at 16 and took a job as a junior clerk in the travel depot, I never imagined that 44 years later I would still be here. But it’s been great to see how the company has evolved over the years, and how it invests in vehicles for the future.”
Duncan Cameron, Managing Director of First Bus Scotland, adds: “Our buses have served generations throughout the city, and this iconic heritage livery has certainly resurfaced a lot of nostalgia from over the years.
“But as we celebrate our past, and how far we’ve come in delivering affordable and reliable travel in Aberdeen for 125 years, we’re also looking to our future, and planning how we can improve our service and sustainability in the city for the years ahead.
“We’ve been on a great journey so far and are proud to have given Aberdeen more than a lifetime of service. Today, we’re looking forward to a green future, as we strive to invest and innovate to offer Aberdeen sustainable travel for the next 125 years.”
