Easy access bus service

Struggling with baby buggies and bags of shopping will be banished to the past with the launch of this landmark bus service for the city.

The EasyLINK vehicle has the ability to lower its suspension to kerb level to give wheelchair users, pensioners and parents with children better access.

It also has buggy bays and wider aisles to make each journey as hassle free as possible.

The nine buses, part of the First fleet have been secured thanks to the county council obtaining £1 million of government funding through its Urban Bus Challenge bid.

This same money has also provided a night bus service and a FlexiLINK scheme, which provides buses on a demand and response basis, will begin in July.

New EasyLINK services will be launched on the current 41 and 43 routes from Tuesday, May 6 to provide cross-city services throughout Worcester.

"It's a really important facility which will let people who have struggled on public transport in the past to travel throughout the city," said Annette More, services development assistant at the council.

"We've also paid for driver training on customer care and disability awareness, to tackle travelling problems from every area."

Shorter route

As bus number 43, it will provide a cross city service from Monday to Saturday between 7am to 6pm, running every 20 minutes.

It will run from Dines Green via St John's to CrownGate Bus Station, then on to Tolladine, Warndon Villages and Worcestershire Royal Hospital. It continues to Ronkswood, Shrub Hill and back to CrownGate Bus Station.

A shorter route, number 43E, will run from Dines Green via CrownGate Bus Station and Tolladine to Warndon every 10 minutes.

The return service, number 41, will run from the bus station every 20 minutes, via the hospital to Warndon Villages, Tolladine, the city centre and Dines Green.