The PickMeUp demand responsive transport (DRT) service in High Wycombe carried over 10,000 passengers in the 10 weeks from its launch in September 2022, operator Carousel Buses has said.
Introduction of PickMeUp to High Wycombe came after a two-year pilot of the service by sister Go-Ahead Group subsidiary Oxford Bus Company from 2018. In its current form, the service is funded by Buckinghamshire Council via the Rural Mobility Fund. It accepts bookings via both app and phone.
Carousel Buses Interim Managing Director Luke Marion says that the 10,000 rides milestone was reached “ahead of schedule” in December 2022. He adds: “We have experienced a highly positive response to the service, with more than 3,400 people in the area having signed up already.
“We believe it further demonstrates how DRT can play a key role in helping to improve air quality and traffic congestion in the UK in conjunction with traditional bus services.” Go-Ahead adds that it views DRT as something that could “fill gaps on the fringes of towns and cities that are not always well served by traditional, fixed route buses.”
Buckinghamshire Council has found that PickMeUp in High Wycombe has proved popular with commuters in addition to visitors to the town centre, college and hospital.
It operates between 0600-1900hrs Monday to Friday with trips costing between £2 and £3.50, which Carousel says is in line with fixed-route services. The service will form part of the Bus Fare Cap Grant scheme in England between January and March, capping single fares at £2. Via provides the front- and back-end technology for PickMeUp.
