The fleet of 30 bright green buses are now available to book via an app, website or phone and is the largest on-demand bus scheme in the UK, reconnecting communities and offering many people who are currently without a local service the opportunity to get back on the bus.
WESTlink allows passengers to book a journey to take them either to a key main bus and train service, or to other bus stops located in the West, be that a hospital appointment, to pick up a small shop or a social engagement.
The minibuses operate without a fixed timetable or route, instead using an automated system to join up people’s desired journey into one trip to get passengers to where they need to be as efficiently as possible.
The price for a journey is £2 per adult, £1 per child until the end of June, and concessionary bus passes are also accepted. Fares will then be charged at standard commercial service costs, in line with Government guidelines from July.
The service runs Monday to Saturday 7am – 7pm, except on bank holidays.
Areas are separated into zones, with North Somerset having the largest area including some of Weston and Nailsea, Clevedon, Portishead, Yatton, Bristol Airport and Chew Valley.
To book a journey using the App, download the ‘WESTlink’ App via the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching WESTlink and create an account. Alternatively, passengers can phone 0117 457 8561. The number is charged at local rates and available from Monday 3 April.
For more information about WESTlink, including a map of the zones the buses cover, click www.westlink.app
The WESTlink service is part of North Somerset’s Bus Improvement Service Plan (BSIP). This will make bus travel across North Somerset faster, convenient, coordinated and better for the environment than running a car.
Following a successful bid to the Department for Transport (DfT), over £105m of Government funding has been allocated for bus improvements, with £48m earmarked for capital improvements in North Somerset alone. £57.5m will be used as a pooled revenue fund with the West of England Combined Authority to enable delivery of the Bus Service Improvement Plan.