ArrivaClick expands to Kent
Arriva’s demand responsive service, ArrivaClick is to begin operating in Ebbsfleet, Kent from next week.
Launching in partnership and funded by residential homebuilders Redrow and Henley Camland, landowner of Whitecliffe, Arriva will provide a new flexible bus service that can be booked when required, designed to provide flexible and cost-effective public transport with the convenience of a private taxi.
The service’s introduction is part of the development of 15,000 homes in Ebbsfleet Garden City, providing a new and more sustainable way of travelling, reducing the need for private car ownership.
The service is booked through the ArrivaClick App, powered by technology from ViaVan. Rides are booked directly from a smartphone by selecting a pick up and drop off location. The app will enable multiple riders to share the same vehicle, directing passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop within a short walking distance for pick up and drop off. The app will display the price and time of each journey and allow tracking of the ride through the app.
The service will run seven days a week starting at 6am through to 1am, except on Sunday when services will stop at midnight. Fares start from £1 and are based on trip distance.
Arriva will provide up to three Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based minibuses for the service, seating up to 15 people (currently a reduced capacity of six to ensure social distancing), operating within a defined operating zone. All vehicles are fully accessible, with space for pushchairs and front kerbside double-door access and a low-level fold-out wheelchair ramp. Passengers can pre-register as a wheelchair user.
Adam Toone, Business Development Director at Arriva UK Bus, said: “We’re excited to be working with both Redrow and Henley Camland with the support of Kent County Council to launch ArrivaClick to the local Ebbsfleet Garden City community. ArrivaClick will enable on demand commuter connectivity like never before, whilst providing the satisfaction of a greener way to travel.”
Ebbsfleet is the fourth region ArrivaClick has been rolled out to, having first introduced it in the UK in 2017.