Two new minibuses can be booked for journeys around Lichfield and Burntwood
Lichfield District Council has launched a pilot on-demand transport service serving villages across its area to provide better access to town centres. The new LinkUp service, formed in partnership with transport specialist WeMove, is available to those living in villages that do not currently have public transport routes into Lichfield city or Burntwood town centres, and is described as a ‘flexible service’ which operates Monday to Saturday using two fully accessible minibuses.
It can be booked via an app or through a contact centre. The service costs £3 per journey, but is free of charge for children aged 11 and under and concession bus pass holders. It uses ‘virtual bus stops’ as boarding and alighting points. Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall, Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Ecology and Climate Change, said: “We’re really excited to offer this brand new, great value transport service to villagers in Lichfield District. It’s flexible, easy to use and could prove to be the future of rural transport, enabling residents who do not currently have public transport to access our high streets by booking rides on demand for shopping, eating out or meeting friends. If the trial works well, we hope to extend and expand the service.”
LinkUp is initially being operated as a six month trial scheme, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Samuel Hunt, Operations Manager at WeMove, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Lichfield District Council to launch LinkUp, which will provide a flexible and accessible transport service ensuring seamless connectivity for all. From inception to launch, we’ve collaborated closely with Lichfield District Council to deliver this service to the community, and as we look to the future, WeMove is committed to refining the service to maximise its impact and further support sustainable transport solutions within the district.
“WeMove is proud to have played a pivotal role in the creation of LinkUp and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in making this vision a reality. We can’t wait to see the service up and running.”
The service operates from 0900hrs to 1700hrs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and extends until 1900hrs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with no services on Sundays or bank holidays. Passengers have the option to pay by cash on board, but journeys must still be booked in advance. Journeys can be booked up to seven days in advance, or up to 30 minutes before departure.
