'Dial-a-ride' rural bus link future in doubt

JHE future of an on-demand bus service in the West of England is being considered, as frustrated residents say they warned authorities years ago that the system was unsuitable

- ANGUS MCINTYRE

The Westlink bookable minibus service allows passengers in isolated and rural areas to ‘dial-a-ride’ for a minibus to take them to established bus routes or other ‘easy to reach places’ for a fixed £2 fee, via phone call or through an app.

The scheme, known as direct responsive transport (DRT), was rolled out by the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) in 2023, serving parts of Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. However, critics claim DRT is inefficient both financially and practically, with frequent cancellations and buses often only carrying one or two passengers.

The current Westlink trial runs until March 2026 using government funding. North Somerset Council, a partner on the project, has acknowl! edged “operational difficulties” and said it will start to “deploy its own vehicles and drivers” to try to improve reliability going forward.

‘A group of residents in the Gordano Valley in North Somerset say they alerted the council to issues they anticipated with the service before it was introduced.