On demand service expanded

Worcestershire on Demand bus services in Bromsgrove and surrounding areas and Malvern Hills have been expanded.

According to Worcestershire County Council, the on-demand services have been very popular since they launched, with more people taking advantage of the flexibility and low cost of journeys every week.

The services enable people to book a bus to pick them up and take them to a location anywhere within the zone and some key places outside of the zone.

The service in Bromsgrove and surrounding areas already sees over 2,200 completed journeys on average each month and has now been expanded to the east and the north to improve links with key places of interest and to serve the Amazon site in Redditch.

There has been rise in the number of people using the service in Malvern, with over 1,000 trips completed each month. The service has now expanded to the north and to cover further places of interest including Ledbury, Eastnor Castle, The Chase School and Barnards Green. There will also be the opportunity to travel between Great Malvern Station and Malvern Science Park.

Expansion of these services launched on Monday 20 January.

“It’s a key priority for us to enhance bus travel in Worcestershire and this service plays a key part in doing that” – Cllr Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council

Cllr Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council, said: “Both the Bromsgrove and Malvern on-demand bus services have been a great success. Not only are we seeing more people using the buses every week, but we’re also getting some fantastic feedback too.

“These buses cover many journeys across the local areas and beyond. They provide a reliable and cost-efficient way of getting around rural and urban areas with people using the service for difference reasons. From commuting to and from work, to visiting families and friends in areas where other bus services may not run to young families using the service to travel to and from key attractions during school holidays, where a second car may not be available.

“It’s a key priority for us to enhance bus travel in Worcestershire and this service plays a key part in doing that.”

The on-demand buses run from 7am until 7pm Monday to Saturday. There’s a flat fare of £2.50 for journeys per person, with additional passengers paying £1.25 and concessionary cards are accepted. Ticket bundles are also available for frequent users. Veterans can use the service free of charge.

The service in Malvern is the second area to operate Worcestershire on Demand buses, following the launch of the service in Bromsgrove in July 2021. The Bromsgrove service also saw an expansion last year, to cover Wythall, Alvechurch, Stoke Pound and Stoke Prior.

The ’Worcestershire on Demand’ app has had nearly 9000 accounts created since launch. It allows journeys to be booked through the app and it directs them to a nearby ‘virtual bus stop’ for pick-up and drop-off.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cookies

This site uses some unobtrusive cookies to store information on your computer, these are in place to ensure that you receive the best possible experience when using the Bus & Coach Buyer website.