Thames Valley Buses, a subsidiary of Reading Buses, commenced operation of the Go2Gate demand responsive transport (DRT) service to Heathrow on 19 August. It is exclusive to the Dedworth area of Windsor and will carry residents between there and Terminal 5 at the airport.
Two new EVM Cityline low-entry minibuses based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter have been delivered for the service. They have leather seats and air-conditioning and continue EVM’s success in supplying minibuses for DRT applications. Padam Mobility is providing the technology behind the service.
Thames Valley Buses General Manager Simon Fisher explains that what is now the Go2Gate service was tendered by Heathrow Airport, which gave the option of submitting a bid for a fixed route and timetable. The travel hub instead opted for a flexible approach.
“We are hoping for at least 20,000 journeys in the first year and there has been a lot of interest in the service,” says Mr Fisher. “Go2Gate is a minibus exclusive to the Dedworth area that is more like a personal taxi. Although many people will travel only occasionally, we hope that people working at the airport will see this as a real benefit.”
In accordance with airport demands, operating hours are 0300-2330hrs daily. For the first week of operation, all journeys are free of charge upon entry of a discount code into the Go2Gate app. After that, single trips will be £5, with discounts for groups and for airport employees, who will pay £2. ENCTS passholders receive free travel off-peak.
Thames Valley Buses says that most people in Dedworth “will be less than a two-minute walk away from a pick-up point” for the new service, which can be booked as long as 28 days in advance or up to 20 minutes before travel.
