A new long-distance coach route serving Perth has been launched with tickets as cheap as 99p – but Dundee is missing out for now.
The service, which is running four times a day, connects the Fair City with Glasgow, Stirling and Aberdeen – with buses stopping at Broxden Park and Ride.
But although they are being run by McGill’s – the owner of Xplore Dundee – the FlixBus coaches are not stopping in Dundee.
Bid to become ‘biggest coach brand in UK’
That is despite some services showing as visiting Dundee on the firm’s website on Monday – and Xplore’s own social media pages advertising for drivers to join the new service.
The company says Dundee is part of its long-term plan but has not confirmed a timescale.
FlixBus is offering tickets starting at 99p for the whole of August to mark the launch of the new service.
Andreas Schorling, MD of FlixBus UK, said: “We have made no secret that we want to be the biggest coach brand in the whole of the UK, and our launch in Scotland is a cornerstone of our growth strategy.
Dundee ‘part of long-term FlixBus plan’
“We know from our experience of cross-border routes that our service is a natural fit with the Scottish market.”
Asked about plans to serve Dundee, Mr Schorling added: “Dundee is part of FlixBus’s long-term plan for the Scottish network.
“We are setting up the infrastructure to serve Dundee and will begin selling tickets as soon as this part of the network is ready.”
McGill’s already runs several cross-border FlixBus services, including to cities like Sheffield and Manchester, and recently launched a daily summer service between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s, said: “Our established partnership with FlixBus has gone from strength to strength, and we are delighted to be working together with the global brand to deliver this ambitious project and offer high-quality transport connections to the people of Scotland.”
FlixBus began life as a tech start-up in Germany in 2013 and now serves more than 40 destinations in the UK.
Conversation