New bus booking service launched in Bucks town ahead of Aylesbury rollout

Residents in High Wycombe can use the new service which is described as a cross between a bus and a taxi.

Bucks Council has stated the service is due to come to Aylesbury this autumn.

The ‘demand responsive transport’ (DRT) service has been launched using Government funding from its Rural Mobility Fund.

Over the next three years the scheme will be piloted, before the local authority decides whether it is a worthwhile venture.

Carousel Buses is running the scheme, travellers will need to use the company’s ‘PickMeUp’ application.

The service will be available to people living in Booker, Daws Hill, Wooburn Green, Wycombe Marsh, Loudwater and Downley.

These areas have been chosen as they have a limited bus service or a route which only serves part of the community.

It is hoped that the ‘PickMeUp’ buses will be better suited to navigating routes with steeper gradients.

Users will be able to book one of the five minibuses to collect them either directly from their home, or from one of the 500+ pickup points – also known as ‘virtual bus stops’.

The service is aimed at residents who may not have access to a bus stop either by their home, or a service that operates direct to their desired destination.

DRT offers an alternative to the rigid structure of traditional bus timetables, the concept is that the buses work around them instead – arriving only when required and from a wider range of pick-up points.

Buses can be booked in advance via the app, through which tickets can be booked and transport can be tracked.

Those not using smartphones can book over the phone on 01494 296021.

The service is available between 6am-7pm on weekdays.

Journeys will cost between £2 and £3.50 per trip depending on distance travelled. Concessionary bus passes will be accepted for free travel.

Councillor Steven Broadbent, said: “Journeys using the new service will be convenient and affordable for commuters, people getting to college, the hospital, or those who just want to visit the shops.”

More information is available on the service website here.