A NEW dial-a-ride bus is reaching more parts of Cheshire East than the last – although some passengers have been hit by a cut in its running hours.

Transport Service Solutions (TSS), the Cheshire East Council-owned community transport firm, took over the service from D&G Bus last August.

However, 17 per cent of journeys that used to be run by the old Little Bus are no longer accommodated by FlexiLink, with the new service having shorter hours of operation.

Richard Hibbert, head of strategic transport and parking services at CEC, said: “I think it is fair to say we were looking to make much better use of the fleet.

“For a number of historic reasons – and I also think the base of the previous operator – there was a very heavy focus on Little Bus activity being around Crewe, and that was quite stark.

“We were looking for a better spread across the whole borough.

“We believe we have achieved that through a number of factors, whilst at the same time accommodating the vast majority of journeys that were previously using the Little Bus.”

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FlexiLink carries out an average of 4,000 trips a month for 700 registered users, of which 400 are considered regular passengers.

Figures presented to CEC’s environment and regeneration overview and scrutiny committee show there were 3,912 completed FlexiLink journeys across the borough in January.

Of that figure, a total of 1,357 were for passengers in the north of the borough, including Knutsford, Wilmslow and Macclesfield.

In a survey issued last month, 32 per cent of respondents said the FlexiLink was better than the old Little Bus, while 49 per cent said it was the same, and 12 per cent said it was worse.

But the new service’s running hours have been cut from the old one on eight of its nine buses – from 9am to 4pm, to 9.30am to 2.30pm – meaning nine per cent of journey times have been rescheduled, while 17 per cent can no longer be accommodated by the service.

Cllr Hazel Faddes, Labour CEC member for Crewe East, told the committee that the cut in hours means vulnerable residents have less time to spend at respite day centres – while their carers are also affected by the change.

She added: “We have a lot of disabled people, we have a lot of elderly people, and it is a lifeline to them.”

One of the FlexiLink buses runs a dedicated service between 2.30pm and 4pm, but most TSS vehicles are used for school transport at that time.

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Independent Cllr Craig Browne, CEC’s deputy leader, suggested that an ‘appropriate charging structure’ could be considered in future to help extend the FlexiLink service in future.

He said: “I think each and every one of us would be seeking to extend the operation of the service – whether it be the hours or operational area. The question is always going to come back to cost.”

For more information about FlexiLink call 0300 123 5110.