When Moray Council launched its on-demand m.connect buses it was heralded as a way to break down barriers where commercial routes are unviable.
Those pressures became more extreme in the summer with news Stagecoach was axing services across the north-east.
Moray Council’s m.connect buses promise an “Uber-style” service with vehicles picking up passengers at their door and taking them where they need to get to on-demand.
At a time when commercial operators are pulling out of some communities entirely, it seems like the perfect solution to a growing problem.
The Scottish Government certainly thinks so. It has supported the “bus revolution” project with £4 million through the Moray growth deal. The council is stumping up an additional £300,000.
How does it work though? And is it providing an answer to the growing public transport worries in Moray?
I jumped aboard Moray Council’s m.connect bus Bus Lightyear in Elgin to see if the service can reach infinity and beyond.
Booking a bus with m.connect: Can I get it when I want it?
The first test of any public transport system is if it provides a service that is convenient for passengers, both in terms of where it goes and when it operates.
I’m someone who is at Dr Gray’s Hospital regularly for routine blood tests, so I decided to test whether I could get there for an appointment from my home in New Elgin.
Like Uber, m.connect buses are booked through a dedicated app.
Once you’re registered, it’s easy to use. Type in where you want to go, where you want picked up from or position a pin there on the map if you prefer.
Unlike regular buses, you can be as specific as being collected or dropped off at the front door of your house.
So far, pretty easy. Now comes the tricky part. Will I be able to get a bus for when I want it?
I’m booking my bus the day before my appointment, which is at 12.45pm the following. I try asking for a 12pm ride and immediately get offered one at 12.06pm. Success!
For those not comfortable with using mobile phone apps, it’s worth pointing out journeys can also be booked by phoning 0300 123 4565.
Could I get home with m.connect?
Unfortunately not. I can’t get another m.connect bus between 1pm and the time it stops in Elgin for the day, which is a slightly prohibitively early 2.30pm due to the buses being used for school runs. They run until 5pm during school holidays, and are available until 8pm in Buckie, Keith and on Speyside.
Luckily I’m reasonably fit, so it’ll be a short walk home back to New Elgin for me on this occasion.
It makes me wonder though, was it just beginners luck being able to book my first journey?
I try booking my trip in the morning, and no rides were available.
I wonder if I could organise a bus for the same day as I’m trying to book. Again, I’m able to get to Dr Gray’s for 12.45pm with a pick-up at 12.20pm this time, and I’m able to get home again this time too with a collection from the hospital at 1.05pm.
Once again though, there were no buses available in the morning.
What about a day further in advance? This time, I’m offered a bus at 11.30am for my 12.45pm appointment, so it’s not completely convenient for my blood tests, but I am offered a ride home at 1.20pm.
Looking further ahead it’s a similar pattern. If I book a week ahead there is good availability in the afternoon, but less so in the morning.
With m.connect you can book your journeys up to two weeks in advance and when I try to do that I have my pick of when I want to travel.
Jumping aboard Bus Lightyear
With my bus trip to Dr Gray’s booked, I stand outside my New Elgin home waiting for m.connect to arrive at its scheduled 12.06pm pick-up slot.
On cue, Bus Lightyear turns the corner and comes down the street to collect me from my front door.
As public transport options go, you can’t get much more convenient.
Driver PJ appears delighted to see me as he opens the doors and welcomes me aboard. Initially he’s a little confused when I tell him I have to pay, explaining that 99% of passengers have bus passes.
However, once I pay my £3 fare by debit card we’re off on our way to Dr Gray’s.
During the journey, PJ asks if it’s my first time on m.connect and is only too happy to explain how it works, when it’s available and where it can take me.
Is m.connect like a taxi?
I suspect his friendly conversation is popular with regulars. It’s perhaps just as well, because there’s nobody else on Bus Lightyear for me to chat to.
It means the vehicle is essentially just operating as a taxi for me, instead of a traditional bus carrying multiple passengers going from varying pick-up points to a range of destinations.
The complexities are clear. While Stagecoach and other operators run defined timetables on set routes, Bus Lightyear’s on-demand nature makes that very difficult.
My trip to Dr Gray’s takes just under 10 minutes. However, if PJ were to have taken diversions to collect other passengers on the way it could have taken significantly longer making trips longer or shorter depending on the day.
For me though, I was dropped off almost as close to the main entrance of the hospital as you could get in plenty of time for my appointment.
How much does m.connect cost?
My bus journey with m.connect from New Elgin to Dr Gray’s cost me £3 for a single trip. If I’d been able to book a return then it would have cost £5.
Buses for trips within Forres, Buckie, Keith, Aberlour, Dufftown and Tomintoul cost the same.
For longer trips though, fares cost incrementally more up to a maximum of £7.50 for a single, or £9 for a return.
In comparison, Stagecoach charge £4.60 for a single between Elgin and Lossiemouth or £7.80 for a day ticket between the two towns and £11.70 for a day ticket for the whole of Moray.
Bus journey restrictions with m.connect
Moray Council has stressed since m.connect launched that it is there to complement existing public transport options, not compete with them.
It means that the service has been split up into four zones, one for Elgin and Lossiemouth, another for Forres, Findhorn and Kinloss, a third for Buckie, Keith and Cullen and the final one for Rothes, Dufftown, Aberlour and Tomintoul.
The thinking being that if I wanted to travel from Dufftown, Forres, Buckie or Keith to Elgin then Stagecoach already operate buses for those routes.
However, Moray Council has stepped in to run timetabled m.connect services where private operators have pulled out.
One of the most popular has been a service connecting Buckie and Cullen with train services in Keith.
Other links include from Elgin to Garmouth and Kingston, a town service in Forres and Aberlour to Elgin via rural communities including Marypark, Knockando and Archiestown.
M.connect expansion coming to Elgin and Moray
From my experience, m.connect’s on-demand buses are easy to use and very convenient – but only when you’re able to book one.
If you’re able to plan well in advance it clearly fills a gap, for more spur-of-the-moment journeys in Elgin you perhaps have to cross your fingers for a bus being available.
In Elgin, m.connect bus services are quite restrictive at only being available between 9.15am and 2.30pm during term time, which extends to 9am to 5pm during school holidays, with no weekend availability at all.
Elsewhere, it’s 8.30am to 5pm in Forres for all Monday to Fridays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.
Meanwhile, in Buckie, Keith and Speyside the services can be booked from 6.30am to 8.15pm.
Moray Council says an expansion of the service is coming as part of the second phase of its “bus revolution” project.
Passenger numbers have been increasing, rising from 45,800 between April 2022 and March 2023 to 55,600 in the following 12 months.
Officials say the introduction of the Buckie and Cullen to Keith timetabled route and more on-demand services in Buckie, Keith and Speyside have contributed to the rise.
And while the council says its core passengers remain over 60, they have also seen a rise in under 22s using their free bus passes to access services.
Read more about public transport in Elgin
- Are Stagecoach bus services around Elgin and Moray really that bad?
- Better off or a raw deal? How Elgin ScotRail fares compare to Central Belt
- The Elgin A96 roundabout that has had 3 different layouts in less than a year: Have your say on which was best
- Fresh hope for Findhorn and Kinloss amid controversial bus cuts – as council draws up rescue plans
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