THE roll-out of 'Uber-style' bus services in Darlington and Teesside will be vital to people living in rural areas "isolated" by a lack of public transport, a council leader said.
This morning, councillors, politicians, stakeholders and the chief executive of the UK's biggest bus and coach operator, Stagecoach were in Hartlepool for the unveiling of a new on-demand bus service.
At The National Museum of the Royal Navy, the newly-created 'Tees Flex' brand was revealed along with zones, destinations and prices for customers in rural parts of the Tees Valley.
At the launch, Darlington Borough Council leader and Tees Valley Combined Authority Transport Cabinet Lead, Councillor Heather Scott told The Northern Echo: “The Tees Valley Combined Authority have been wanting to do (this) for quite some time.
"It’s going to give people in rural areas the opportunity to be able to ring up, or use the app, to get a bus to be able to take them to doctors appointments, or hospital appointments."
Operated by Stagecoach North East on behalf of the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the brand's nine buses will not run to timetables rather they will rely on customers to book a seat via the app or over the phone.
Technology will then calculate the fastest route in a given area to show what Tees Flex services are nearby, and which buses are able to stop at "virtual bus stops" closest to the customer's home.
A fleet of nine buses, all of which feature disabled access, USB charging sockets and leather seats, will be deployed for use in three zones within Darlington, Stockton, Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland.
The buses will be equipped with tracking technology to allow it to arrive to customers within 45 minutes.
Mr Houchen, who signed off funding for the service before new year, said: "There are far too many people cut off in rural communities that find it difficult to see their friends and family, access essential health services, get to the supermarket or, most importantly, the jobs and training opportunities that we are creating across the region.
"Students, families and people of all ages can request a bus to collect them from right outside their door and take them where the need to be, and at a great price.”
'I can't see why it won't work'
Sadberge and Middleton St George Councillor Doris Jones said the new service would be 'imperative' for her ward where public transport is scarce.
She said: “This service is imperative for the people in rural areas, Sadberge doesn’t have any buses at all.
"People getting to the doctors, into town, a lot of elderly people don’t have cars anymore because they’re too old to drive.
"Some have had their licence taken off them and that’s sad because it makes them isolated.
“This is fabulous and I can’t see why it won’t work – it's cheap, it's affordable, it’s perfect for us.”
Vowing to ensure the service is a success, Martin Griffiths chief executive of Stagecoach said: “Demand responsive buses is developing – it is important that we do pilots like this to really explore them."
'This will link communities'
Steve Walker, managing director of Stagecoach North East, said the operator was confident in the new business model - suggesting there were 11 vehicles in total, 2 extra to help with maintenance and perhaps the roll out of further services in the future.
He said Tees Flex would 'link communities' into main parts of the Darlington and Teesside zones.
'Patchy services don't link up'
In response to today's announcement, Jessie Joe Jacobs, Labour's candidate for Tees Valley Mayor said: "Currently, Ben Houchen has powers around bus services but he is running scared from the bus companies who current are running the show, and base decisions around profit not people.
"We have a free market wild west of confusing ticketing, unaffordable fares and patchy services which don’t link up, if you have a bus service at all.
"This needs fundamental change, not just a sticking plaster approach that this glorified taxi service that Houchen is introducing.
"We need flexible options and flex bus has a role bit it really isn't the answer to the major transport problems we have.”
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