Local news outlet In Your Area writes about a new service which will allow residents to call a bus to stop at their house

The ‘dial-a-bus’ service will mean passengers can request to be picked up by a bus on a route near them ‘in minutes’, benefiting rural communities who are served by far fewer regular services.

The scheme was approved by the transport committee of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority this week.

It will mean that remote villages with only two to three services running a week will have access to buses six days a week.

The reforms are part of the local government’s efforts in levelling-up bus services across the region and will provide a lifeline to residents in rural communities disconnected from essential public services during lockdown.

The Shropshire Star also publishes results from an RAC poll revealing that access to a car has become more important to the majority of drivers (57 per cent) due to the pandemic.

The poll of 3,000 motorists indicated that 68 per cent think a car is ‘essential’ for carrying items such as shopping, up from 54 per cent last year.

This could be due to the rise in click-and-collect services and people carrying out fewer but larger grocery shops.

The survey demonstrates the scale of the challenge in encouraging people, particularly those in rural areas, to switch from cars to public transport as the pandemic eases.

Full articles:

In Your Area - Hunts residents in rural areas will be able to call a bus to stop at their house

Shropshire Star - Drivers say virus crisis has made car access more important, survey finds