The Wiltshire Connect demand responsive transport service in Pewsey Vale has carried more than 55,000 passengers during its first 12 months of operation, Wiltshire Council has revealed.
Both semi-flexible and on-demand services form part of Wiltshire Connect, with the council offering residents two free rides before 31 August to mark the anniversary. Of the 55,000 passenger journeys made in Pewsey Vale, 4,500 individual users have been recorded, Cabinet Member for Transport Cllr Tamara Reay notes.
Wiltshire Connect is now set to be expanded into further rural parts of the county, with details of that work to be announced over the coming months.
Cllr Reay adds that 87% of passengers on the existing provision have rated their journey as five stars, “which is testament to the high standard of service and its value to the customers it serves,” she continues.
“When we launched the service last year, we said that it would revolutionise bus travel in the Pewsey Vale area, and it really has made a significant difference. The on-demand bus successfully links our rural communities and reduces social isolation by giving people the opportunity to travel at a time to suit them,” Cllr Reay notes.
“Wiltshire Connect is just one of the things that we have implemented as part of our business plan priorities to ensure that residents can live in well-connected communities, and improved rural bus links is a part of this.”
Five semi-flexible, timetabled services form part of Wiltshire Connect. The service in Pewsey Vale is operated by Go South Coast business Salisbury Reds, with mobility specialist Ioki providing the back-office system. Funding is from Wiltshire Council with support from the government’s Rural Mobility Fund.
