The all-electric bus operator has hinted that it may soon introduce new services in Perth, Angus, and north-east Fife.

The CEO of Ember Electric Buses has outlined his plans to open new routes in Tayside and Fife. The company has grown rapidly since establishing its inaugural bus service from Dundee to Edinburgh during Covid in October 2020.

It presently provides services throughout the country, including routes connecting towns and cities in Tayside, Fife, and Stirling. Passengers and Courier journalists have praised Ember’s regional routes for their frequency, reliability, and low cost.

Keith Bradbury, a co-founder of Ember alongside Pierce Glennie, told The Courier that the firm plans to expand further in the region.

This includes potential new routes through Perth, Angus, and northeastern Fife.

The firm also has other plans in the area, including as installing additional charging facilities at South Inch in Perth, in conjunction with its new E9 service that connects Perth railway station to Edinburgh, and possibly opening a new base in Dundee.

Mr Bradbury stated, “We intend to launch more routes out of Oban and Perth.” “There are further routes we might want to take between Dundee and Aberdeen.

“For example, we don’t take the seaside route. “I know a lot of people in Arbroath and Montrose keep asking for our services, and I believe it will happen eventually.

“You could also take a different route between Edinburgh and Dundee, heading up towards St Andrews and Cupar.” “We are looking at potential charging sites over in Fife, actually, which could happen next year.”

Ember wants to ‘finish Scottish network’ within next year

Ember has grown from one to ten routes since 2020, with expedited services available on some of them. Ember presently connects Tayside and Stirling with Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness, Fort William, Braemar, and Aviemore.

On November 5, the business started its newest E9 route from Inverness to Edinburgh via Pitlochry and Perth. Services to Dumfries, Skye, and northern England may also be planned.

Mr Bradbury stated, “Our goal was always to build a comprehensive, extensive network across Scotland and subsequently the UK.

“The Covid-related delays prevented the expansion from taking place sooner. “We were just running skeletal services and people weren’t travelling, but now we’ve been able to verify the business’s economics and show that we can do it at scale.

“We’ve been able to gather the funds to continue purchasing vehicles, investing in personnel and charging hubs, constructing all of that infrastructure, and launching new routes.

“Our current goal is to complete the Scottish network within the next year, roughly. “Hopefully by the end of next year, wherever you want to go in Scotland, you should be able to get pretty close on the Ember network.”

How Dundee backed Ember’s plans

Mr. Bradbury claims Ember’s business model is centred on passenger-friendly characteristics. These include flexible tickets that can be cancelled or moved for free.

There is also an online tracker that pinpoints the whereabouts of each of their coaches, and fares are always the same to prevent clients from feeling “ripped off”. Ember announced plans in August for a new bus depot on East Dock Street in Dundee, replacing an Arnold Clark garage.

Mr Bradbury claims that the city council’s assistance influenced Ember’s decision to begin its initial service from Dundee. After approaching “multiple” councils with his plans, he claims Fraser Crichton, the council’s fleet manager, agreed to meet with the company.

Mr Bradbury stated, “That was a major difference compared to other councils we were dealing with at the time. “We need more sympathetic local councils that support the expansion of public transport services.

“We have the ambition, but it isn’t always matched. “Dundee was also a reasonable distance from Edinburgh for our first electric coaches. “They could do that return trip on a single charge.”

Ember ‘targeting car users over bus operators’

There are currently multiple long-distance bus operators in Tayside, Fife, and Stirling, and Stagecoach’s X7 service already serves the Dundee to Aberdeen coastline route.

According to Mr Bradbury, Ember is targeting a different type of traveller, as well as places with few existing services, such as those on the E11 Dundee to Aberdeen route, which serves Perthshire and Aberdeenshire.

“Our view is, who we’re really competing against are people making car journeys,” said Mr. Bradbury. “How can we get them out of their cars and into more efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective public transportation?

“We’re more concerned with how to increase the quality of public transport so that people will come to us.

“It’s different when you’re beginning an electric business because you can’t travel anywhere without charging infrastructure.

“We perform travels ranging from 15 to 150 miles, which are completely dominated by cars. “We’re looking at where we have charging stations and routes that connect the locations on the map.” The size of a road is a great measure of its traffic volume.

“We were looking at places that don’t provide exceptional service.” Because it connects individuals, that route (E11) can be valuable even if you don’t have to go every 30 minutes. “And we’ve seen that route has actually been quite successful.  Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com