Wiltshire Wigglybus

The Wigglybus services are funded by Rural Bus Challenge, and the first service in the Pewsey Vale began operation in 1999. In this area there are now 4 buses running 3 approximately hourly circular services, and a less frequent service linking the small towns of Pewsey and Devizes. Passenger numbers have recently exceeded 5000 in a month for the first time. A new (one vehicle) service in the Calne area was launched in April 2003, and another single vehicle operation is planned around Mere, a small town in south west Wiltshire.

The services run on defined 'core routes', but will divert on request to pick up or set down anywhere within the defined operating area for that service. Most journeys are pre-booked through the call centre, but passengers can 'hail and ride' from the timed departure points in the towns.

The services were designed to improve access to a full range of local facilities and opportunities, not specifically for access to food. However, food shopping is one of the main activities available in the local towns to which the Wigglybus provides access, and a significant proportion of passengers use the services for this purpose. The Pewsey services terminate in the Co-op supermarket car park, and a dedicated Wigglybus booking phone has been installed inside the store. The Calne service terminates at Sainsbury's, as well as picking up in the town centre.

Because it provides a much higher frequency of service than would normally be offered in a rural area with scattered population, the Wigglybus is relatively expensive to run (subsidy per passenger trip is currently around £4.10). However, the cost of providing a comparable frequency of service to all parts of the area with conventional bus services would probably be greater, due to the dispersed population and complex road network. The question for policymakers is what level of funding can be provided to improve access to food shopping (and other local facilities) for rural residents through more frequent transport services, which could be either demand responsive or fixed route according to local circumstances. The services have attracted many regular users, some of whom have come to rely on them as a 'lifeline', allowing them to take part in activities previously inaccessible to them. A survey in 2000 showed that over 30% of trips on Wigglybus were not previously made before the service began.

Source: Wiltshire County Council