Free app launched to help Aberdeen clubbers stay safe on a night out

Published on 17/08/2012 12:59

ABERDEEN City Council has launched a pioneering mobile phone application to help revellers have a safe and enjoyable night out in the city centre.

The free app, which is available on Apple and Android devices, has been developed by the council’s Safer Aberdeen team and provides practical advice and essential phone numbers for people flocking to city centre pubs and clubs.

A city council spokesman explained: “ As well as practical advice, the app also features maps marked with Aberdeen Royal Infirmary’s accident and emergency department, Grampian Police’s headquarters and locations of taxi ranks and bus stops along Union Street. It also provides direct links to the websites of Stagecoach, First Bus and other night time services, as well as the option to call the emergency services.

“The app is live and available to download now from respective Apple and Android app stores. “

Donald Urquhart, Aberdeen City Council’s Head of Housing and Community Safety, said: “This has been an ambitious project and demonstrates that the council continues to be forward-thinking by embracing new technology.

“Accessing information in this way is fast becoming the preferred method for people on the move and this app offers a wealth of practical advice at the user’s fingertips.

“This is a comprehensive app covering all aspects of a night out in the city centre, including advice on what to eat before heading out, telling family members where you are going and getting home safely. It provides phone numbers, website links and directions to key services as well as the location of taxi ranks and bus stops.”

Councillor Martin Greig, chairman of Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership, praised the scheme.

He said: “This is an excellent example of using the latest technology to improve community safety. The night time is an extremely busy period of commercial activity with higher than average levels of disorder. The council and Police work closely with businesses to make the city centre a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.”

Related Articles

• A year of big ideas

  That mobile phone’s ringing again and you’ve got mail on your PC; your working hours are stretching out and you never see the kids. Retirement – which once just seemed a long way off – is receding into the distance.

• A Friend in the North

  WHOEVER coined the phrase "it's grim up north" could have been describing Aberdeen on a winter's day. The Granite City is home to Scotland's most northerly old university; quite often the sky matches the exterior of the buildings here. Conversely, as a recent YouGov poll revealed, Aberdeen is officially the happiest city in Britain, and as a new student, once you've acclimatised to the cold, you'll undoubtedly warm to its great charm.