Trial of fixed bus route coming to an end

A fixed Phone ‘n’ Ride route running between Habrough and Immingham Town every Monday and Wednesday is coming to the end of the trial period and is up for review.

The introduction of the trial service follows discussions earlier in the year with the local parish councils to provide residents in Habrough and Immingham Town with access to regular public transport.

In the coming weeks, officers will be reviewing passenger numbers during the trial period and liaising with the parish councils to consider the future of the fixed route service, which will be announced on Monday 5 October.

The impact of COVID-19 has been considered and the initial trial period extended to allow for a more accurate decision on the service’s future.

If the decision is made to not review the service, officers will begin to explore other areas that could benefit from a dedicated fixed route Phone ‘n’ Ride Service.

How do I access the Habrough/Immingham service?

There is no need to register for the service or pre-book if using the fixed route, just hop on and off at one of the stops. If you have mobility issues that require you to be picked up or dropped off closer to your home, you will need to pre-book your trip via the Booking Team at least six days in advance.

A single fare between Habrough and Immingham will cost £1.30 for an adult and 65p for a child (under 16), under 5s travel for free. You can pay cash or use your contactless card. Please note that multi-trip tickets issued by Stagecoach such as Megariders and Dayriders are not valid on-board. If you have a National Concessionary Fare Bus Pass you can use the service for free.

The fixed route service will continue to run alongside the regular on-demand service and residents may be booked on to the timetabled bus if their journey allows and fits within the timetable.

The timings have been set to run alongside a number of events taking place in Immingham and Habrough.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “When we launched the trial of this service, we were clear that the continuation of a fixed route would be dependent on passenger numbers.

“While we have seen passengers numbers increasing in recent weeks, we will be closely monitoring the final few weeks of this trial and unless we see a solid increase in passenger numbers, we may have to consider the removal of the fixed route in this area. I’d encourage local residents wishing to benefit from this service to please take advantage of it so they can hopefully see it continue.

“If we are unable to evidence viable support for this fixed route, then we will work with our partners to identify another location which would benefit from a fixed route service. This could include working with local educational providers or other rural areas. Residents of Habrough and Immingham Town will continue to receive service from Phone ‘n’ Ride through the usual booking service.”

Phone ‘n’ Ride is managed by North East Lincolnshire Council’s regeneration partner, ENGIE, and operated by Stagecoach East Midlands.

For more information on how to register or book a journey visit www.phonenride.com or call (01472) 324440.