Controversial MK Connect bus service is hailed as success by Milton Keynes Council

The city’s MK Connect transport service has been described as a success by councillors.

The demand-responsive system was launched almost two years ago, after MK Council scrapped many of its subsidised bus route.

They replaced them with a fleet of electric vans offering a “bespoke” service that people can book in advance via their phones or online.

Vehicles are shared by passengers heading the same way, with pick-ups typically within a couple of hundred metres of the passenger’s home.

At first the new user friendly concept prompted more complaints than compliments, with people saying the timings were erratic and the booking system was too difficult, particularly for older people with no access to the internet.

But MK Council has always insisted that MK Connect is a more efficient, cleaner and greener way to get around the city. And this week they announced that tens of thousands of kg of carbon emissions have already been saved by the system.

Figures over the past year show the service has replaced 56,000 journeys that would have otherwise been made using a car. A recent survey of passengers found that 13% of respondents were now using MK Connect instead of a private car.

The service has also proved a boon to disabled users, or people who want to travel in the evenings or on Sundays. Previously, under the old bus system, they had very limited travel options. Now they can rely upon MK Connect to get them around, says the council.

The city’s Cabinet member for Climate Action and Sustainability, Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, said: “We’re proud that MK Connect is having such a positive impact for our residents who rely on the service.

"We’ve learnt lessons from when we first introduced MK Connect and we’re always listening to feedback and looking for ways to improve the service even further.

"It’s thanks to innovative transport methods like this that we can help people get around our city in a sustainable way and achieve our climate ambitions.”

The change has also proved more economical for the council, as previously they were pouring money into subsisided bus routes that were being underused by the public.