Welsh Government pilots zero-emission demand-responsive bus service

Transport for Wales has extended its demand responsive public transport scheme to include the Ruthin area of Denbighshire, a rural county in the north east of the country.

This latest extension of the fflecsi demand-responsive transport (DRT) service, first launched in Newport in 2020, is the first to use a zero-emission vehicle – an e-Cityline battery-electric 16-seat minibus.

Passengers book and pay for journeys via an app or telephone call, which then matches passengers travelling between similar points, calculating an ad hoc route to the destinations required within the route's service area. Most routes have a fixed start and end destination. The on-demand bus service scheme is charged with normal bus fares, with payments taken using either a contactless card or smartcard.

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The technology behind the service is by ViaVan, and the pilot is funded by the Welsh Government through its programme to invest in new approaches to public transport.

James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said, “This innovative service is an important part of Transport for Wales and the Welsh government’s vision to reduce car usage and promote greener forms of travel, while also supporting the local economy and ensuring access to public transport. We have been pleased with the success of the fflecsi pilots across Wales and are delighted to be able to expand the service with a new electric vehicle.”

The transport scheme also aims to provide useful feedback on the suitability of such vehicles useful in other similar situations and locations across Wales.

TfW said where fflecsi has previously been introduced in rural areas, it has to date seen an increase in passenger demand over the previous timetabled bus services.

Lee Waters, deputy minister for climate change with responsibility for Transport added, “fflecsi is a new scheme to make bus services more accessible and useful for people to make everyday journeys. It gives passengers more control over how they get around by providing access to reliable and flexible travel, whilst also helping to build a greener Wales.”