Maybe it’s not electric – but it got me from A to B, and pretty darn quick.

The first-ever bus on the long-awaited Dover Fastrack service left for its maiden journey dead on time, at 8am from Dover Priory Station on Sunday.

It smoothly arrived at its last stop at Cranleigh Drive, Whitfield, in 23 minutes.

The fact is all passengers want is a cheap, prompt and reliable bus service and Fastrack, in my book, got full marks on its first-ever journey.

The Who had a song in 1968 called Magic Bus and the shoe fitted for this fast, easy trip.

There were six of us passengers on that historic first outing, paying the standard £2 each, and those I spoke to welcomed the new £34 million service.

The first to get on board at Dover Priory was Matthew Tan, a bus enthusiast who had come all the way from Golders Green in London to try the new route.

The scheme’s promised electric fleet will not be available until the summer due to supply chain issues - so, for now, diesel-powered ones are being used instead.

Mr Tan filmed the entire trip for his YouTube channel and says he “goes all around the country filming first trains and buses”.

“Right now these buses are low emission,” he said.

“I know that from next year onwards they'll be getting electric ones so that'll be exciting.”

The Fastrack bus that morning first went along Worthington Street, Priory Street and York Street, not yet using the purpose-built contraflow at Pencester Road as that is still being worked on.

It then climbed up the steep Castle Hill Road to Dover Castle and Burgoyne Heights, an estate that has a scarce service.

Residents sometimes have to walk across a large field to catch a bus on the A258 Dover-Deal road, risking life and limb to cross that busy road.

The journey went on over the new route’s specially built bridge across the A2 at Whitfield.

It then passed through the White Cliffs Business Park, giving passengers easy access to landmark places such as Dover District Leisure Centre.

Catching the bus at Cranleigh Drive were Whitfield resident Tim Carter and his wife Jackie.

They have a car but Mr Carter said: “I've got my bus pass, so hopefully I can make use of Fastrack.

“I think it’s a good idea. If children live in Dover, they can still come up to Whitfield to get to school and also to get home safely as well. So, it can only be a good thing.”

Mrs Carter felt the new service was particularly needed with development in Whitfield such as the Richmond Park estate, which this service passes.

She said: “We have lived in Whitfield for six years, we’ve seen the building of Richmond Park. Also I like to see new ventures start. I think we might use this bus instead of the car.”

On the return journey Fastrack stopped at Castle Street, conveniently next to the St James’ Retail and Leisure Park.

Boarding from there was county councillor Nigel Collor (Con), who represents Dover and is vice-chairman of his authority's environment and transport committee.

He said: “I think this service will certainly be of great benefit to the people of Whitfield with a direct link to the station.

“It will also overall improve the service for the station and the town centre.

“I also hope this will help encourage people away from their cars.

“Because of the environmental side of things, people have got to come ahead of cars.

“Buses are one of the things that this government and the previous government have put money into.”

Just yesterday (Monday), the Department for Transport announced £124 million to boost bus services across the south east over the next two years.

This is to support, improve and protect routes across the country, and keep fares low. It is also to empower councils to take back control of services.

The department says this represents a record level of recent investment for bus improvements for the majority of areas, alongside once-in-a-generation reform to deliver London-style bus services nationwide.

As a Londoner, revisiting the capital to see family and friends every month, I have been spoiled rotten by the level and standard of public transport there.

It seems unfair to compare the public transport of a sprawling metropolis with that of a semi-rural Home County.

But still I was shocked when I first moved to Dover in 1987 to find some bus services ended as early as 7pm and some trains between towns only came once an hour.

For years in Kent I did my best to avoid public transport, sticking with a moped until I passed my driving test.

I have been drawn back to buses in Kent since the £2 fare cap was introduced in January 2023. The previous cost of £5 per trip I felt was too steep.

Services between big towns and cities such as Dover, Folkestone and Canterbury work well with waits of as little as 15 minutes between buses.

I relax on the top deck to go to these places rather than driving.

Using a bus takes away all the stress of driving, with exasperation and danger caused by inconsiderate, inattentive and reckless motorists.

It also takes away all the worry of whether you can find somewhere to park and whether you will be fined for overrunning your time at a bay.

The arrival of Fastrack in Dover, a year after the original expected start time of autumn 2023, comes 18 years after the rapid service first began in Kent, in Dartford and Gravesham.

This has to be a major step forward for Dover but unfortunately the gain now is coupled with the loss in services elsewhere in the district.

The 64 route to River, via Buckland Hospital, is cut from a maximum twice an hour to once and the 61 now misses out northern Whitfield.

These changes have led to waves of protest from passengers.

Stagecoach says these cuts were commercial decisions based on passenger numbers, and it is “working very closely with Kent County Council to find a solution”.

Still, despite initial stumbles and teething problems, Fastrack could be a leap forward in public transport for the Dover district.