A DEDICATED shuttle bus service has been launched to take passengers to the NHS Nightingale Hospital North East, which opened as a mass Covid-19 vaccination centre this morning.

The Go North East bus, which is branded ConnectorShuttle, will serve the vaccine clinic at the Sunderland International Innovation Centre, near to the Nissan factory.

It runs up to every 15 minutes, connecting with Go North East’s 56 service at Concord, offering connections from Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland.

The service runs seven days a week, from just after 5am until around midnight each day, to help improve access to vaccination appointments.

The bus company is celebrating the efforts of the NHS throughout the pandemic with blue livery featuring a ‘thank you’ message and rainbow design.

The service has been put together with just two working days’ notice by the Go North East team following dialogue with the local NHS Trust and Nexus.

Over the weekend the dedicated bus has been vinyl wrapped for the service, which will also help support the nearby 56 route, currently being re-launched with improved buses as ‘Cityrider 56’.

The company said the shuttle will also ensure a frequent service continues to operate along the A1290 and to Nissan, when works at Testo’s sees a closure on Washington Road from next month.

There is no extra charge to use the ‘ConnectorShuttle’ service, though any Go North East customers using the bus should scan their existing tickets as they usually would.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: “We’re delighted to be helping the NHS with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and have moved fast to ensure that good public transport links are in place.

“The shuttle bus service offers, quick, safe and easy access to the Nightingale Hospital, with great connections available at Concord from Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland on the Cityrider 56 and other nearby local bus services, including the Connections 4 from the Metro at Heworth.

“In partnership with other North East bus operators and Nexus, we’ve also recently introduced a dedicated vaccination bus stop in Newcastle outside the Centre for Life vaccination centre.

“It’s great seeing the hard work and energy of everyone involved in delivering this very important vaccination programme.

“We’re committed to doing all that we can to work with partners to ensure that public transport plays its part in supporting this national effort with good quality, clean and safe public transport links, which is why we have very quickly mobilised this new special shuttle service.”

For timetables visit gonortheast.co.uk