Gloucestershire County Council launches rural minibus pilot

Gloucestershire County Council is to launch a rural minibus pilot to provide transport in two of the most rural areas in the county.

The £1.35 million pilot will provide a bespoke minibus service known as the Robin, which aims to provide on-demand services to fill a gap where there is no bus provision.

Residents will be able to book on an app or over the phone, with the service providing a link from bus stops in hamlets and village centres to local transport hubs and train stations.

The two-year pilot will be run by the county council and local bus operators. The scheme has received funding from the Department for Transport’s Rural Mobility Fund.

The service will run 7am until 7pm excluding bank holidays.

The southern area of the Forest of Dean is set to benefit first, with an area of the north Cotswolds to follow shortly after.

Cllr Philip Robinson, 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.”