Getting around Wythall, Alvechurch, Stoke Pound, Stoke Prior and Bromsgrove is about to get much easier with the expansion of Worcestershire County Council’s innovative on demand bus service – Worcestershire on Demand.
Newly launched zones, which will be live from Monday 12 August, make it easier for people to travel to more key places of interest around North Bromsgrove and beyond.
The expanded service, which has already been a great success in other parts of Bromsgrove and the wider county, will see on demand buses drop off at locations that previously haven’t been regularly served by other forms of public transport.
Residents will have the opportunity to travel to and from rural destinations and business which, in turn, will support the local, rural economy. These destinations include Beckett’s Farm, The Transport Museum, Attwell Farm Park, Lickey Hills Country Park and many more. The service will also be available to and from the Princess of Wales Community Hospital.
Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport said: “It’s great to see the launch of our expanded Worcestershire on Demand services to more areas of Bromsgrove, building on the success with our services in Malvern, and the current service in Bromsgrove which has done over 65,000 trips since launch. We know it’s important to our residents to have options and flexibility when travelling around the county and this extended service provides just that. This service is a key part of our mission to enhance and secure bus travel in Worcestershire.”
Councillor Adam Kent, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills said; “This launch is hugely important for local communities and has been a key priority for us. Getting around Bromsgrove by bus is going to be so much easier with these new routes. It means that local people will be able to get to more places in the north of the county, many of which are not supported by a local bus service. Local rural businesses should see a benefit with both the increase in visitors and ease of travel for their current and future workforce. And if you need any support with downloading and using the App, visit your local library where our friendly teams will be able to help you.”
Not only will the on-demand service support local people to get around Bromsgrove, it will also help travel out of the county to Birmingham and further afield by covering train stations at Barnt Green, Shirley and Whitlock’s End.
Journeys can also be made to destinations outside of the new expansion zones including Abbey Stadium, The Jinny Ring Craft Centre and the Clent Hills.
Bradley Thomas, MP for Bromsgrove and the Villages said: “This easy to use and effective service is great news for residents in Bromsgrove and the Villages, as well as paving the way for similar services around the county. It also supports two of the promises I made to my constituents - improving local transport and promoting and protecting rural communities by strengthening the rural economy. Providing better links to rail and bus stations that will also support people to not just get around the county but also get around the country.”
Worcestershire on Demand provides bus transport on request using variable routes and timetables, and has racked up over 65,000 completed trips in the Bromsgrove area since the Council launched the service three years ago.
On demand buses offer a bespoke alternative service to the familiar local bus and provide a flexible and affordable form of public transport and run from 7am until 7pm Monday to Saturday.
Booking a journey is done through an easy-to-use App and passengers will be charged a flat fare of £2.50 a journey, with new riders getting their first journey free of charge, additional passengers paying £1.25, and concessionary cards accepted after 9:30am.
Kevin Collins, Operations Manager, Diamond Bus, Redditch added: “Diamond is proud to have been working with Worcestershire County Council since 2021 on delivering their Worcestershire on Demand service, bringing more flexible public transport solutions to people living within Bromsgrove and surrounding villages. We are extremely pleased to have been awarded additional contracts to extend On Demand services to Stoke Prior, Alvechurch & Wythall. We have invested in two additional brand new Euro6 minibuses for these routes which look great and will help to promote the On Demand services more widely in the area.”
As part of Worcestershire Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, the Department for Transport has provided valuable support to launch the initial service and expand to wider areas allowing more passengers to use the service for a variety of local journeys and support the local economy.
To find out more, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the Worcestershire on Demand webpages.
The Worcestershire on Demand app, which has over 6,000 accounts created since launch, is available for iPhone or Android.
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