Greyhound coaches set for Scotland's roads

Robbie the greyhound came along for the ride when the FirstGroup relaunched its overnight Glasgow-London coach services yesterday.

The iconic Greyhound name makes its debut in Scotland next month when the Aberdeen-based group steps up competition with its rival, Megabus. First's Nightflyer service will be rebranded with Greyhound's blue and grey livery, with the focus on cheap travel rather than frills.

Average journey fares will be 10-15 per cent lower than Nightflyer's. Managing director Alex Warner said staff were being trained to be "obsessed" with customer service, but passengers wanted low fares rather than extra legroom or catering.

First bought the 81-year-old Greyhound brand in the United States in 2007 and launched Greyhound services in southern England and Wales last year.

Steve Stewart, spokesman for Perth-based Stagecoach, which owns Megabus, said: "It's great to see the concept of budget coach travel catch on."