Aberdeenshire councillor Geva Blackett vows 'never to shop in Aberdeen city centre again' after bus gate fine
A Deeside councillor has vowed never to shop in Aberdeen city centre again after being slapped with a fine for accidentally driving through a bus gate.
Geva Blackett recently found herself 'entangled in blue paint' as she tried to cross from the Bon Accord Centre to Union Square.
The independent councillor, who lives in Braemar, comes to Aberdeen every two months to get her hair done at Linton and Mac on Netherkirkgate.
This trip, she tells The P&J, would usually be combined with some grocery shopping at the former Marks and Spencer a short walk away at St Nicholas Square.
The flagship store closed earlier this month as retail bosses focus on the £15 million expansion of their Union Square branch.
And Mrs Blackett thought this would be a great opportunity to check out the revamp, buy some strawberries for her grandchildren and make a day of her visit to the city.
This was until she suddenly found herself 'trapped' in the Guild Street bus gate…
Speaking to The Press and Journal, Mrs Blackett admits that as an Aberdeenshire resident she didn't really know what the bus gates were or how to navigate them.
So when it came to her first attempt at crossing through the city centre, she thought 'the responsible thing to do' would be to seek advice from Google Maps.
However, the app suggested that the quickest way to Union Square would be through Guild Street, which is now strictly for buses and taxis.
It wasn't until Mrs Blackett saw the big blue patch with the words BUS GATE that she realised what she had done.
'I just knew…,' she said.
'I went home and told my husband that I've been through the bus gates, but I was just doing what Google Maps was telling me to do…
'I've read about the bus gates but I hadn't really thought about it much. Living in Braemar, they don't really affect you, do they? Until you get caught that is.'
A few days later, Mrs Blackett was served the 'very threatening' bus gate fine for £100, allowing her to pay £50 then and there, or £150 later on if she ignored it.
She paid it, but is now adamant to never risk ending up in this situation again.
Business leaders in Aberdeen have previously warned the 'anti-car' rejig of the city centre is a deterrent for Aberdeenshire shoppers, who now prefer to go elsewhere.
And Mrs Blackett agrees with that, stressing that the bus gates put off particularly those – like herself – who are not necessarily confident with driving in the big city.
She adds: 'You're watching what other cars are doing, you're concentrating in traffic, thinking of where you're trying to go, and then suddenly – BLUE PAINT! What is that?
'And then, I couldn't do anything when I realised I was in the middle of it… I was so confused that I gave up the idea of going to M&S altogether and just carried on.
'So instead of making a day of it – perhaps going to Union Square after my hairdresser, seeing a film, having a meal, doing some shopping – I did nothing and got a fine for it.'
Mrs Blackett has now vowed never to attempt driving through Aberdeen city centre and go for her shopping to Westhill instead.
The 'worst of it all', she adds, is that it is the high street retailers that will bear the brunt of it all.
And she says that she fully backs them in their battle against the traffic restrictions, which they are now on the verge of taking to court.
Council data shows that city leaders will be forced to refund £1m worth of bus gate fines to drivers if traders succeed in their crusade to get the system scrapped.
'I feel very sorry for the retailers, and I'm definitely on side with them,' Mrs Blackett adds.
'I can't see myself going back to that part of Aberdeen so that's another potential shopper the city has lost.
'Unless you really understood the bus gates, why would you risk a £100 fine?
'From now on, I'm just going to go to my hairdresser, then turn around and go to Westhill.'
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