400 sign-up for rural Staffordshire bus service

A revolutionary new bus service that picks people up from their doorstep in isolated areas of South Staffordshire has signed up 400 customers in its first three weeks.

The South Staffordshire Connect service is open to anyone living more than 800 metres from an hourly bus route as well as people with mobility issues who struggle to travel on regular bus services.

Now Transport Minister Norman Baker has said he will be keeping a close eye on the service to see if similar schemes could be rolled out across the country.

It was set up in response to bus operators cutting countryside routes, with two councils and a doctors' group stumping up the £300,000 annual cost to run it. During a visit to Codsall Mr Baker said: "It's a very innovative idea and has the potential to reduce rural isolation and get more people onto public transport.

"It's innovative to have a scheme of this sort available to the wider community and the partnership funding is a great example of co-operation and joined up thinking."

Bus driver Robert Williams said the new service was particularly well-used during early mornings and and late afternoons to take people to day care centres.

He said: "In between times, it's mainly people using it as a dial-a-ride. There's an elderly lady and her blind son, for example, who use it to visit the pub. They couldn't do that otherwise."

Councillor David Billson, deputy leader of South Staffordshire Council, said: "People from Pattingham go to Albrighton for their doctors but, by public transport, that can be a three-hour trip. With the new bus, it could be 15 minutes each way."

Trips are free for people with a bus pass, £2 for adults and £1 for children with a Your Staffordshire Card.

By Chris Mallett