Nigel Huddleston MP is calling on residents in the south of his constituency to provide their input into a possible future expansion to the Worcestershire On Demand bus service.
The bus service is booked via a smartphone app and collects passengers from virtual bus stops, and has been hailed a success since it launched in Bromsgrove during the pandemic. A new Malvern rural zone was launched in 2023, and now Nigel Huddleston MP has confirmed that he is in talks with County Council officials about bringing the service to cover parts of the Vale of Evesham, including Broadway.
Nigel said:
“I was recently contacted by Cllr Mike Rouse at Worcestershire Highways to confirm that the council is looking to roll out a third zone for demand responsive transport, and that Evesham and the surrounding areas has seen selected for consideration.”
“The zone has not yet been finalised, so there is an opportunity for residents to feed into my office their suggestions which I will pass on to the county council.”
The expansion of Demand Responsive Travel (DRT) in the south of Worcestershire builds on improvements to local services in Droitwich, including the establishment of two new bus routes serving the town.
Cllr Mike Rouse, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport added:
“Traffic congestion through Evesham and the challenges associated with rural areas such as Broadway have been brough to my attention by Nigel Huddleston, the late Councillor Peter Griffiths covering Evesham along with Councillor Emma Stokes, and Councillor Elizabeth Eyre representing Broadway. Collectively they have made a very strong case for this part of Worcestershire to benefit from demand-responsive buses, and I am delighted we are able to consider their requests.”
Residents are encouraged to visit Nigel Huddleston’s website and complete the feedback form to provide their suggestions, which will be passed along as the final zone is drawn up. These suggestions can include ‘points of interest’ such as tourist attractions, or to highlight villages and areas that are facing particular challenges with public transport connectivity.
Suggestions should be sent by the end of March 2024. An announcement about the rollout of the final zone is expected by the end of the summer.
