New bus service in Leicestershire aims to connect those in rural areas

Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, county council cabinet member for highways and transport, by one of the FoxConnect vehicles

Rural areas will be better connected thanks to new minibuses which people are able to book on-demand.

Leicestershire County Council has launched the pilot demand responsive transport service which runs between Leicester and Hinckley.

Residents can book journeys via an app or call a contact centre.

The FoxConnect scheme will run for three years and has been funded through the council’s bid for £1.3m from the Department for Transport’s Rural Mobility Fund.

It connects rural areas in south west Leicestershire with destinations like Magna Park, Next Headquarters, Carlton Park and Fosse Park along with Narborough and Hinckley train stations. It also serves the Enderby Park & Ride site for onward travel into Leicester.

Transport spokesman Cllr Ozzy O’Shea said: “The future of rural transport could well be this type of on-demand service as it’s an innovative alternative to what is already out there.

“If the trial works well, we’ll look to expand the service into other areas.”

The service is being operated by Woods Coaches of Wigston.

Regional managing director Sarah Gager said: “Public transport opens up opportunities, whether for work, education, leisure or health needs, so it's important that people have access.

"We're proud to be working with Leicestershire County Council and Liftango to provide this new service and help improve the connectivity of Hinckley with Leicester city centre. A small fleet of vehicles will operate from our Wigston depot.”

Click here to find out more or book a journey.