Council hitting the road as information events planned to promote new bus network
The first phase of the new service will be launched on 31 March 2025, operating in a zone that covers the northeast of the county between Oakham and Melton
Rutland County Council is to hold a series of roadshow events this month to share information about the county’s new on demand bus services.
The council has an ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) that aims to increase access to local transport services and make them more sustainable. This includes trialling a new on-demand minibus service that is being phased in alongside normal fixed-route buses, over the course of 2025.
Once fully rolled out across the county, Rutland’s new on-demand bus service will operate in three zones that help to connect villages with main bus routes, which then provide onward travel to larger destinations.
The new on-demand service is being delivered in partnership with Lincolnshire’s Callconnect and will be free to use for the first three months. The service will use existing bus stops as pick-up and drop-off points, with passengers able to book journeys on Callconnect’s smartphone app or over the phone with as little as one hours’ notice.
The first phase of the new service will be launched on 31 March 2025, operating in a zone that covers the north west of the county between Oakham and Melton.
Rutland County Council’s information events will cover areas such as Market Overton, Greetham, Cottesmore, and Wymondham. Officers from the council’s Transport Team will be taking to the road in one of the county’s new on-demand minibuses - giving people a chance to see the vehicle up-close, learn more about how to use the service and ask questions.
Information including a timetable for the new RZ1 fixed route will also be available at the roadshows, which is replacing the current R2. The new service will operate during peak times, with DRT operating at off peak times.
“These roadshow events will be a great way for people to learn more about how their local transport network is changing, as well as seeing our new vehicles and asking any questions they may have. Our officers will be on hand to explain how to use the new Callconnect service, how to book a journey and how on-demand buses will work alongside Rutland’s conventional, fixed-route bus services. All this information will be made available online for those who can’t make it along an event. There will also be more chances to see and speak to us after March, as we prepare to widen the new on-demand service to the rest of the county this summer.”
Councillor Christine Wise, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Communities at Rutland County Council
Rutland County Council’s transport roadshow dates, times and locations are as follows:
Friday 7 March
- Oakham Library, 9.00am to 12.00pm
Tuesday 11 March
- Cottesmore (between The Sun Inn and village shop) - 9.30am to 10.30am
- Exton Garden Road bus stop - 11.00am to 12.00pm
- Stretton bus stop - 1.00pm to 1.30pm
- Clipsham bus shelter - 2.00pm to 2.30pm
Thursday 13 March
- Greetham Community Centre - 10.00am to 12.00pm
- Market Overton bus shelter (near The Black Bull Pub) - 1.00pm to 2.00pm
- Wymondham (Melton Road bus stop) - 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Saturday 15 March
- Thistleton Church Hall - 10.30am to 12.00pm
Wednesday 19 March
- Oakham Library - 1.30 to 4.30pm
For more information about the rollout of Rutland’s new on-demand bus services or the upcoming roadshow events, please call the council’s Transport Team on: 015772 758 138 or email: transport@rutland.gov.uk.