Council consults on DRT
Cheshire East Council is consulting the public on its FlexiLink demand responsive service.
Rather than operating to a set timetable or route, council-supported FlexiLink provides shared transport to passengers who specify their desired location and the time of pick-up and drop-off. It is open for those aged 80 or over, have a disability or live beyond the reach of any other public transport. Ansa Transport operates the service.
The consultation follows the council’s own review of the service to understand how it has been performing in relation to its own ambitions for the local bus network and in light of wider changes across the bus industry in the region.
The proposals being consulted on include:
- Expanding the eligibility criteria for passengers
- Expanding the current operating hours and days Improving integration with the mainstream bus network
- Modernising the booking and scheduling system
- Introducing a new fare structure, including options to charge for concessionary pass holders
Cllr Craig Browne, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “Our bus service improvement plan (BSIP) sets out the ambition for the local bus network to improve the speed, reliability, and quality of public transport, to encourage more residents to travel by bus and make fewer car journeys and to contribute to carbon reduction targets.
“A modernised FlexiLink service will help to achieve this.”