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13 June 2023: Liftango has launched a new, dynamic on-demand passenger app to digitalise the new m.connect bus service in Moray, North East Scotland, with early passenger journey figures up 30% in the first month.
m.connect covers the entire Moray area, including five transport zones using 14 vehicles and is the enhanced iteration of the previous Dial M for Moray bus service. Liftango’s technology means that, alongside a booking phone line, passengers can now use an easy-to-use app for quick, flexible bookings and journey planning. This new digital service, alongside increased marketing spend and enhanced vehicle availability, has led to a significant increase in passenger journeys by 30% in the first month.
The change to m.connect is the first stage of the £4.3m Bus Revolution project, which is being funded through £4m of Scottish Government funding and £300,000 from Moray Council. Bus Revolution is part of the Moray Growth Deal, which will see over £100m of investment in the local economy with funding from the Scottish and UK Governments, as well as public and private sector contributions.
Based in a rural part of Scotland, the new m.connect service aims to reduce transport barriers in isolated areas and increase the number of people using public transport. The official service launch follows a successful trial with Liftango last year, where the on-demand technology providers were able to overcome the mobile network and reception issues in Moray to provide a fully-functional digital experience for both passengers and the service operator.
The new m.connect app helps to make journeys entirely frictionless, with the ability to book from two weeks in advance to one hour before travel. It includes features such as journey creation and management, bus ticketing, vehicle tracking and journey notifications.
The app aims to open up the service to a new demographic and increase overall passenger journeys made. David Mawhinney, Head of Europe at Liftango, said, “Our white-labelled app for m.connect provides a totally seamless experience for passengers, from planning the journey through to journey completion. We are delighted to be providing a solution that works in even the most isolated areas of Moray, helping m.connect to increase passenger usage and create an even more efficient demand-responsive transport service for the people of Moray.”
Stevie Robertson, Senior Project Officer at Moray Council added, “As part of our regional collaboration on demand responsive transport with HiTRANS, the initial trial and roll-out of the app has been successful and have been delighted with further developments being made to the m.connect app going forward. It’s been a pleasure to work with the Liftango team so far and I look forward to seeing users in Moray starting to realise the benefits of our new and improved digital service.”
Councillor Marc Macrae, Chair of Moray Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “We often hear that transport is a barrier for people wanting to take part in activities, commute to work and get around the region. This on-demand service, as part of the Moray Growth Deal, goes some way to remove these concerns and get folk moving around Moray with much more ease and a real potential to boost the local economy.
“The simplicity of the app, booking process and low-cost fare structure is a real boost to the service and I look forward to seeing many more people opting to take the bus as we all become more mindful of our carbon footprint.”
About Liftango
Liftango offers a route to a sustainable and climate-positive future by advising cities, organisations, and fleet operators on how to plan, launch and scale their shared mobility programs.
Through a single technological platform, we improve organisations’ ability to monitor and optimise vehicle movements in a more environmentally friendly manner.
Learn more: liftango.com
About m.connect
Here for more details on the Moray service.
Further information
For media enquiries, please contact:
Jessica Lewis-Stone
jess@liftango.com
