08/09/2003

The UK’s first Internet-only bus operation went live in Scotland today (8 September 2003), offering passengers travel between major cities for just £1.

Transport giant Stagecoach has adapted the low-cost, no-frills approach of the budget airlines to develop megabus.com.

The web-based ticketless service provides passengers with cheap travel between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee using comfortable double-decker buses.

Distinctive blue and yellow Megabus vehicles, featuring the service’s 13ft-high Megadriver character, run 10 times a day on the highly-competitive route between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Seven services a day link Perth and Dundee to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Perth services will be routed through the Broxden Park and Ride site, allowing drivers the convenience to park their cars for free and let the bus take the strain.

Stagecoach Chief Executive Brian Souter said: “This is a totally new concept, a first for Scotland and it heralds a new era in low-cost inter-city bus travel.

“We’ve looked at the way the cheap airlines run their operation and we believe there is a big market out there that doesn’t use the bus at present but can be attracted to our new product.

“We feel young people, and students in particular, will catch on to the service and the bargain-basement prices will be ideally suited to their budget. We also hope the low cost will encourage car drivers to switch to public transport and help ease congestion on our roads. ”

A trial megabus.com service was launched on the popular Oxford-London route last month, with 3,000 tickets sold in three weeks. If the Scottish routes are a success, Stagecoach plans to roll the service out to other parts of the UK.

The 94-seat vehicles can carry almost double the number of passengers than a traditional express coach, allowing megabus.com to target high-volume, low-cost business.

All megabus.com fares will be £1 in the short-term until the service is established. The company will then yield manage the seats in the same way as the budget airlines, with slightly higher fares for last-minute bookings or popular journeys.

However, Mr Souter added: “Megabus.com is a genuine bargain. At least 40% of our seats will always be at the lowest £1 fare and the highest prices will still be extremely competitive at around £3 to £4.”

The no-frills buses have no toilets, although the refurbished interiors are clean and comfortable.

Megabus.com is the second UK first for Stagecoach in only a few weeks. Last month, the company launched the “phone and go” Yellow Taxibus, a combined taxi and bus operation, running from Fife to Edinburgh.

Yellow Taxibus, the UK’s first commercial demand responsive service, combines the benefits of a fixed bus route with the flexibility of pre-booked taxi pick-ups. A fleet of upmarket people carrier vehicles offer a high-frequency service between Dunfermline and the Scottish capital seven days a week, with fares as low as £2.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Stagecoach Group
Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs,
Tel: 01738 442111 or 07764 774680