TWO new minibuses which will be used to connect residents in rural communities to major market towns, including Ashbourne, have been unveiled.
Moorlands Connect will replace several services which link outlaying villages in the north east Staffordshire Moorlands and Derbyshire Dales that have fixed routes and timetables.
The flexible service will be based on passengers’ needs, and the route will be plotted daily in line with telephone bookings made by customers.
The new service will start on Monday and will run every day execept Sundays.
Existing routes which the new service will replace will finish today and include the 456 from Longnor to Warslow and Leek, which runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; the 443 Alstonefield to Ashbourne, which runs on Thursdays and Saturdays; the 405 Leek to Hartington Circular, whicj runs from Mondays to Fridays, and the 443A from Alstonefield, Ilam and Ashbournes which runs on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Prospective passengers were given a sneak preview of the service when it was showcased in Market Place, Ashbourne, on Wednesday.
Staffordshire County Council member Gill Heath said: “Passengers on Moorlands Connect will be able to get around the area with ease.
“The new mini-coaches are completely accessible thanks to their ability to ‘kneel’, and there are ramps for parents with buggies and those in wheelchairs.”
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council member Gill Burton said: “One of the few downsides of living in such a beautiful part of the world is that town centre facilities can be quite inaccessible to people from the countryside.
“Moorlands Connect will tackle that problem by ensuring that people can get where they want, when they want.”
The service will stop off in Ashbourne and Leek as well as covering the villages of Flash, Hartington, Longnor, Warslow, Waterhouses and surrounding areas.
It will link up with bus services including the 442 Buxton to Ashbourne, the 108 Ashbourne to Leek and the 118 Hanley to Leek and Buxton service.
Residents are being urged to sign up to the service from today so they are already on the books once the service starts on Monday.
Passengers just need to call 0300 1118003 or email moorlandsconnect@staffordshire.gov.uk Anyone who pre-registers before the launch date will be entered into a prize draw.
Passengers can also sign up to the Moorlands Connect loyalty card, which rewards regular passengers with cheaper travel, as well as discounts and special offers which can be redeemed at several businesses in the area.
The minibuses seat 14 people each and have ramps for wheelchair users and parents with buggies and the buses even ‘kneel’ so that there is no need to climb.
The vehicles have large windows so that passengers can enjoy panoramic views of the picturesque Staffordshire Moorlands and can also transport four bicycles.
Moorlands Together is funding the vehicles. It is a partnership between Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust, Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Peak- Park, Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services, as well as other voluntary and community groups.
