FOREST councillors were invited to take a ride on new community transport service The Robin before Christmas to get a first-hand look at how it operates.

The rural minibus service, which is being run by Gloucestershire County Council, was launched earlier this year with the aim of giving public transport back to some of the county’s most isolated communities.

But the service is now playing a greater role in the community than was perhaps expected at the time of proposal, following the withdrawal of further local bus routes by Stagecoach last month.

Those withdrawals, which included the loss of services in the Cinderford, Lydney and Sedbury areas, followed previous cuts made back in February, in which services connecting Newent and the surrounding areas with south Herefordshire were cut without replacement.

While some of the lost Forest routes have been saved by new providers, others could not be replaced.

In their stead, the council has been promoting alternative transport options to people in the communities affected.

The Robin service is one such alternative, complimenting existing community services like Newent Community Transport and Lydney Dial-a-Ride, which has also played a role in its development.

Forest Councillors were invited to see it first hand in a pre-Christmas ride-a-long on Friday, December 16, hosted by “industry expert” Louise Currie from Lydney Dial-a-Ride.

Louise was on hand to welcome the councillors aboard and explain how the on-demand service works.

Cllr. Philip Robinson (Con, Mitcheldean), county cabinet member for transport, said of the experience: “It’s fantastic to see this service doing so well.

“The Robin is doing a brilliant job of serving our residents and getting them to vital appointments, into the community and connecting them with town centres.

“Long term we need to be thinking differently about how we provide rural public transport and I’m very hopeful this trial can prove on demand transport as a viable model to be rolled out further.”

Cllr Beki Hoyland (Green, Blakeney and Bream) said: “I’m a regular user of The Robin and I love it.

“It’s a fantastic way to get around in a rural area currently not well served by a traditional bus service.

“I’ve had excellent feedback from other residents too and it was great that local councillors have had the chance to see it in action.”

Over the last 2 months The Robin has covered 8,000 miles in the Forest, transporting 600 passengers to where they need to be or linking them with other public transport.

Louise Currie, Manager at Lydney Dial a Ride, said of the service: “We’ve been delighted by the popularity of The Robin. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

“The service is easy to use, and people can book as and when they need to.”

More information is available at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/transport/the-robin.