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An innovative ‘hail-and-ride’ taxi-bus service is being extended until July next year after proving hugely popular with passengers. In the nine months that the taxi-bus has been in operation it has carried an average of four passengers per journey, exceeding expectations. Numbers using the service have risen from 56 in the first week to around 120 a week, most of them being elderly passengers who otherwise might have difficulty in accessing the shops and services in Wrekenton. The taxi-bus, which is run by Nexus, operates in the Wrekenton and Eighton Banks areas of Gateshead, Monday to Friday, linking streets which are not served by any commercial bus routes. The six-seater Hackney Carriage is available for ten minutes of every hour from 9.30am until 2.30pm - all the public has to do is simply hail it down. It runs on a circular route between Wrekenton high street via Wrekenton Way, Rockcliffe Way, Tanfield Road, The Cedars, The Hawthorns, Rockcliffe Way, Sandy Lane, Galloping Green Road, Tanfield Road, Wrekenton Row and back to Wrekenton High Street. Director General of Nexus, Bernard Garner, said: “I’m delighted this project has proved so popular in such a short period of time. It’s particularly useful for the more vulnerable members of the community, such as elderly folk. “As a provider of public transport in Tyne and Wear, Nexus is all about boosting social inclusion and this service is doing just that because it’s providing a link to an isolated part of Gateshead where other buses don’t run.” Cllr David Bollands, cabinet member for transport at Gateshead Council said: “I am delighted to hear that this service is being extended for a further eight months and would encourage residents to take full advantage of it. “In the mean time, I would like to assure residents that the council is working hard to add to and improve the current transport facilities that we have in Gateshead. Discussions with our colleagues in Tyne and Wear, and neighbouring authorities continue to see how we can work together to tackle issues that cross council boundaries, like transport services. “We can also take much from the recent White Paper, launched at Leam Lane by the Prime Minister and Ruth Kelly last week, which gave an assurance that councils like ourselves, will be given more powers to ensure communities get the bus services that they need.” The taxi-bus, which is funded by Nexus, started out as a pilot scheme at the end of January. It was due to finish at the end of January, but due to the success so far it has been extended for a further six months to allow further review and plans for the future to be made. The scheme has been paid for with money from Nexus’s Social Inclusion Fund with the backing of Gateshead Council. Bus fares cost 60p for a single and concessionary travel passes, under-16 cards and Network Traveltickets are all accepted.
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