The PickMeUp demand responsive minibus transport brand is to make a return when Go-Ahead subsidiary Carousel Buses introduces it in High Wycombe in September, thanks to support from Buckinghamshire County Council.
In High Wycombe, PickMeUp will accept bookings via app and telephone. It will operate around the town onMonday to Friday. Carousel is currently recruiting drivers and a customer services controller for the service, saying that those roles will deliver shift patterns between 0530-1930hrs.
PickMeUp made its debut with sister company Oxford Bus Company in June 2018 as a two-year pilot, but the service was discontinued at the end of that period. While over 300,000 passenger journeys were delivered during that pilot, and the service struggled to meet demand at busy times when congestion hampered average speeds, it did not satisfy the commercial milestones required as no local authority support was provided in Oxford.
On the introduction of PickMeUp to High Wycombe, Carousel Buses Interim Managing Director Luke Marion says: “The idea of PickMeUp is to provide a new way to get people around swiftly, efficiently and on demand.
“I hope this will further encourage people to leave their cars at home, help to reduce pollution and further improve connectivity in High Wycombe.”
