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July 9, 2009
Bus Service Goes Large
SPIRALLING passenger numbers will see an award-winning bus service expand throughout the Sleaford area this month.
The existing Sleaford CallConnect service is set to be doubled from one to two vehicles from Monday 13th July, and the area served will be expanded to include Metheringham and surrounding villages.
Anita Ruffle, Lincolnshire County Council's Public Transport Strategy Manager, said: "This expansion of the CallConnect service is entirely in response to the demand we have seen for the service in the Sleaford area since its launch. We are delighted that we are now in a position to expand the service and make its benefits available to even more residents."
CallConnect provides residents with a `dial a bus` service between 7am-7pm Monday to Saturday and can be used to travel to Sleaford or Metheringham, make village to village journeys and to connect with local bus and rail services in the area.
CallConnect is especially important for people living in rural or isolated areas, a fact recognised during a recent tour of the county by Dr Stuart Burgess, the Government's Rural Advocate and Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC).
After travelling on a CallConnect bus himself, he said: "CallConnect is exactly the kind of innovative solution we would like to see rolling out across the country to tackle issues of isolation in remote locations. It provides a thought-provoking insight into the possibilities for the future of rural transport.
"Public transport could be the lifeline for remote communities as competition for jobs increases and as more and more people have to travel to receive advice and benefits."
For more information about CallConnect, please call the Booking Centre on
lo-call 0845 234 3344 (open 8.30 -17.00 Monday to Friday and 9.00 - 16.00 on Saturdays) or online at www.lincsinterconnect.com.
Lincolnshire County Council's ground-breaking CallConnect bus service was launched in Horncastle in 2001. The new service brings the total number of CallConnect routes to 24. Last year it dealt with more than 150,000 booking requests.
The buses are fitted with a tail-lift and child seat and are fully wheelchair accessible. Anyone can use the service for any reason from going shopping and medical appointments to getting to work and social events.
For customers who are unable to walk to the designated pick-up point due to a disability, mobility impairment or live in remote, isolated areas, there is the CallConnect Plus scheme. This allows customers, on completion of an application form, to request a home pick-up or drop off. The application forms can be obtained by calling the Booking Centre.
To use CallConnect, simply call the Booking Centre on 0845 234 3344 (lo-call rate) to register your details. This will take a few minutes and you will be given a membership number. Once registered you can request your journey up to seven days in advance and for same day requests please allow at least two hours notice.
You can also submit journey requests on-line at www.lincsinterconnect.com 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis. The Booking Centre is open to take requests Monday to Friday 8.30-17.00 and 9.00-16.00 on Saturdays.
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