TVCA votes to scrap on-demand bus service

TEES Flex, the Tees Valley's ondemand responsive bus service, is to be scrapped.

- By DANIEL HODGSON

The scheme will end in March after six years. In its place, some funding will be used to subsidise two hourly routes one in Hartlepool and one linking east Darlington with west Stockton.

Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet members had the opportunity to either continue with Tees Flex set to cost £4.65m over three years or scrap it and spend the money elsewhere.

At the meeting, local authority leaders did not want to see the continuation of Tees Flex, branding it as not good value for money, while Tees Valley Conservative mayor Ben Houchen spoke in defence of the service and the improvements that would be made if the model continued.

The on-demand service sees passengers book a journey through an app on their smartphone before being directed to a pick up/drop-off point nearby. There is a fleet of nine fully accessible minibuses that currently link up more rural communities across the Tees Valley.

Alan Weston, head of transport and infrastructure at TVCA, confirmed that the combined authority is set to receive nearly £26m over a three-year period. He explained that there are 13 supported services across the Tees Valley, excluding Tees Flex, with leaders recommended to continue this support on a temporary basis until July, to allow time to work out a three-year programme.