Aberdeen City Council launches journey planner app to encourage walking and cycling

Aberdeen City Council has launched a new smartphone app that will help people better plan and price their journeys around Aberdeen and encourage more walking or cycling.

The journey planner app, called GoAbz, includes information on journey times and costs by vehicle, and offers alternative suggestions by cycling, walking and by bus or train.

It is available to download for free from the Apple App Store and GooglePlay.

The app has been developed by Aberdeen City Council as part of the European Union Civitas Portis project with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Partners on the project include Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans, The Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen, and Aberdeen Harbour Board.

Local residents helped design the app, creating two beta versions, before the final version that is now ready for launch.

The first local engagement session was held in March 2020, with four research workshops aimed at different user groups: drivers, students, people age 60+ and cyclists.

Work on further versions of the app was carried out with college and university students and young carers; people aged over 60, including sheltered housing residents, those with visible and invisible disabilities, and those without a smart phone or internet; drivers; and active travellers such as cyclists and those with young children who often walk with a pram.

The final version was then built and tested to include a wide variety of people’s individual journey planning needs. 

Further developments will improve the journey planner over the coming months.

Aberdeen City Council transport spokesperson Councillor Sandra Macdonald said: “The GoAbz app is an innovative way to help plan your journey around Aberdeen with useful information on journey times and costs.

“It also provides information on alternatives to driving including cycling, walking and using public transport, which we’d encourage people to use where they can and particularly for short journeys.”