Community Connect launches for Downland area in West Berkshire

In a bold move towards modernising public transportation, West Berkshire Council is delighted to announce from 15 January 2024, our new on-demand transport service, called Community Connect, will be launched for the Downlands area of West Berkshire.

Moving away from the conventional timetabled bus routes, this new service puts control in the hands of passengers, offering the flexibility to book journeys through the website, user-friendly app, or dedicated phone service.

The new on-demand Community Connect service will replace the current timetabled service 5/5a/5c, providing greater convenience and efficiency for residents. A morning and afternoon timetabled journey will remain to ensure seamless commuter, school, and college journeys, while the service throughout the rest of the day will allow passengers to choose from a variety of pick up and drop off locations within the designated operating areas.

Key features of the new Community Connect service include:

1. Flexibility at your fingertips: passengers can easily book their journeys via the user-friendly website, dedicated app, or via phone, putting control in their hands, rather than waiting for a timetabled bus.
2. Tailored journeys for rural areas: due to the rural nature of the district with limited public transport available, these services are socially necessary for people to commute for education, employment, and medical appointments.
3. Responsive and efficient: The dynamic nature of the Community Connect bus adapts to passengers' needs, ensuring optimal efficiency and responsiveness in meeting transportation demands.
4. Environmentally friendly: buses are good for the environment as they can transport large amounts of people at the same time, rather than single or low occupancy cars on the road.

Councillor Denise Gaines, Executive Member for Highways, Housing and Sustainable Travel at West Berkshire Council, said:

"Buses are a vital lifeline for people who do not have access to other means of transport such as cars or trains and can assist in making sure communities are not cut-off due to their rural setting.

"This service will allow passengers to have more control and say over their journey rather than relying on a timetabled bus service, aligning with the demands of today's fast-paced lifestyle.

"Community Connect signifies a positive step to efficient and user-centric travel solutions. I would encourage residents to use this new innovative service and explore the local area in an environmental, cost-effective way."

MP Guy Opperman, Minister for Roads and Local Transport at the Department for Transport, said:

"The good people of West Berkshire deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. I'm delighted to have worked alongside the local council, and local MP Laura Farris to give West Berkshire £3.1 million to boost its bus services.                 

"This is a fantastic result for passengers, who will also get a new community 'on-demand' service to get around the Downlands area more easily and with greater flexibility."

Community Connect will be run by West Berkshire Council's Transport Services Team. It will operate on Monday to Friday between hours of 07:00 to 19:00. For more information, please visit: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/communityconnect.  

This service has been made possible due to funding from the Department for Transport (DfT). Following submission of the 2021 Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) we were awarded £2.6 million from the DfT to spend on improvements for local bus services. Further information can be found here: https://info.westberks.gov.uk/enhancedpartnership.

NOTE:

Image caption: (L-R) West Berkshire Council Officers Matthew Metcalfe, Paul Hyde, Alan Garnsworthy, Cllr Denise Gaines

The Downlands Volunteer Group have recently launched their Downland Handebus which also operates in the West Downland villages. 

This is a different service to the Community Connect service from West Berkshire Council. The Downland HandeBus offers a bespoke service to residents in the Downland villages where passengers using the Downland HandeBus are collected from their homes and driven to the shops or other venues. It's a door-to-door service to help those with mobility issues as it can safely carry up to two wheelchair users and their carers as it is fitted with a hydraulic tail lift.