PEOPLE who live in the most poorly-connected areas of the Forest are set to benefit from an on-demand rural bus service thanks to a new pilot scheme from Gloucestershire County Council.

The council will introduce the new minibus service for the south Forest of Dean area, as well as another in the north Cotswolds, to improve the “sustainable” public transport options available in the “most rural parts of Gloucestershire”.

Cabinet approved plans to progress the pilot service at a meeting last Wednesday (June 23), after £1.352 million was secured from the Department for Transport’s Rural Mobility Fund earlier this year.

The investment from the DfT will fund the service for two years, which includes the procurement of four new wheelchair accessible minibuses.

It is thought the services could prove “a lifeline to isolated communities” as well as a “feasible and convenient alternative” for lower carbon travel.

Currently, 24 per cent of residents in the south Forest of Dean pilot area do not live within walking distance of a regular bus service.

There are also 5,306 households in the region that do not have access to a car.

The council hopes that new and improved connections in the area will help people “from all walks of life” to access transport for work, leisure and education in a way “which was not previously possible”.

The council will look to make the service available by next spring.

The pilot service will offer “affordable” journeys between designated pick-up and drop-off points, such as existing bus stops and hamlet and village centres.

The minibuses will run from 7am until 7pm on weekdays plus a Saturday service, and will link to local transport hubs and train stations.

The council says it will also work with local transport providers to investigate “convenient” integrated ticketing options.

Cllr Phillip Robinson, who is the cabinet member for economy, education and skills, explained: “There will be no fixed timetable, there won’t even be a strictly defined route.

“The service will only visit an area where there is an actual demand.

“This should go a long way to overcoming the inefficiencies that result in rural transport often being unviable.

“The scheme will work with existing services, not in competition against them.

“Indeed, existing services will benefit in so far as the new DRT service will deliver passengers to these established groups on which those passengers can continue their journeys.

“Any of Gloucestershire’s licensed bus services will be able to bid to become the operators of the DRT services.”

At last week’s meeting, cabinet approved plans to purchase the four new minibuses, as well as contract an operator to run the services and a separate organisation to run the booking and scheduling.

The cost to run the service is expected to be £855,000 for the first year, and £497,000 the year after.

The four minibuses will cost £358,000, while contracting an operator to run the service will cost £812,000.

The council will also spend £100,000 contracting an organisation to run the booking and scheduling element of the service and £83,000 on branding, marketing, monitoring and evaluating the scheme.