Gloucestershire County Council plans to launch a rural minibus pilot, funded by £1.35m from central government, to support increased transport options in two of the county’s more rural areas.
The minibus service, called The Robin, will launch today (17 October) in the southern area of the Forest of Dean, with an area of the north Cotswolds reportedly following soon.
The bus service will operate on an on-demand service to support travellers in areas with no or limited bus provision to complement existing services.
What’s more, the council describes the service as affordable and says would-be passengers can hail a bus vis an app or by calling.
The service is intended to connect bus stops in hamlets or villages to local transport options and train stations and increase the accessibility of public transport.
According to the council, The Robin will run from 7am until 7pm daily, except for bank holidays, with bookings opening today for the Forest of Dean service.
The service will initially run as a two-year pilot.
Philip Robinson, councillor and cabinet member responsible for education, skills and bus transport, said: “Bus transport is crucial for many people who live in rural areas.
“This pilot will provide imaginative and much needed support to the bus services we already have across Gloucestershire.
“It will provide greater choice in transport by helping people get around our rural communities.
“These brightly coloured, cheerful buses are unmissable and will provide a lifeline to our rural communities.”
The Robin received a £1.35m boost after the local authority was one of only 17 successful applicants, out of the 56 in total, to the Department for Transport’s Rural Mobility Fund.
