Access to buses just got easier
Five more easy access Flexibuses have this week joined the Warwickshire County Council fleet.
In a bid to try and make public transport as easy as possible for as many people as possible the county council has added five more Flexibus services to routes in Bedworth, Rugby and Stratford.
The five additional buses have been introduced following the request from the county council’s Liberal Democrat group to include the funding in this year’s budget.
Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “We supported this because we want to help the growing number of people who are isolated because of age or health reasons and need to have access to local communities for shopping and other services. We have also noted how popular they are in the areas where they already exist.”
Flexibus is the name of the council’s scheme of wheelchair accessible bus services, and different operators using the buses run these on behalf of the council.
Flexibus services are open to everyone, but are particularly helpful to people with mobility problems. To help people who find steps difficult or impossible, the bus is equipped with an electric lift to help passengers on board.
There are almost 50 Flexibus routes in the county, taking people from both rural and some urban areas into nearby town centres and providing people with the opportunity to visit the local supermarket or high street to undertake their personal business without having to rely on other people.
Although all the routes have a fixed destination point and certain specific boarding points, the buses can divert off route to collect people with mobility problems – you don’t have to be a wheelchair user – from their homes. This has to be pre-booked with the operator before 9am on the day of travel. Fares on Flexibus are no more expensive than conventional bus services.
Cllr Martin Heatley, the county council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “There is no doubting the success of this scheme, it has been praised by the Government, various associations representing different disabilities and most importantly the people that use it. Flexibus has become an essential part of life for many mobility impaired people and is highly valued.”
Details of most Flexibus services can be obtained from the main operator the A & M Group on freephone 0500 21 22 25. The other operator is A-Line Travel who provide some services in south Warwickshire. Their telephone number is 02476 450808. Full details of Flexibus services are available at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/publictransport.