The lifeline Ring & Ride bus service, which helps over 65,000 people with mobility problems get out and about in the West Midlands, has taken delivery of the first vehicles in its new £1.5m fleet of state-of-the-art buses.
Registered users of the door-to-door service, which is operated by charity West Midlands Special Needs Transport and funded by public transport authority Centro, will be able to travel in top-of-the-range style and comfort on one of 41 new vehicles.
The Volkswagen Crafter buses, which cost £36,000 each, will be used all over the West Midlands region.
They make up 14 per cent of the charity’s fleet, which in total provides over two million trips a year.
They have been painted in a new, modern and distinctive Ring & Ride livery and have saloon heating, sophisticated electronic tail lifts and folding steps.
The vehicles can carry 13 passengers, but all seats can be folded down or removed to accommodate up to four wheelchairs instead.
Kaitlan Rogers, age 8, from Northfield in Birmingham was one of the first people to try out the new buses at a Ring & Ride open day at a depot in Frankley. She uses the service to get to and from school every day and to go on trips around the region.
She said: “Using Ring & Ride means I can get to school and go out for the day without my mum having to take me in the car. I really like the new buses, they look nice, are comfortable and are really easy to get on and off.”
Peter Maggs, Chief Executive of West Midlands Special Needs Transport added: “The Ring & Ride service provides a vital lifeline for people with mobility problems of all ages, helping them get to school and work, go out and socialise, go shopping or access healthcare and leisure activities.
“These new buses are a major boost in helping us fulfil the needs of our 65,000 users, getting them to the places they want to go in the greatest possible comfort, and also enabling easier access thanks to the buses’ new modern design.”
West Midlands Special Needs Transport has also taken delivery of 14 new LDV Maxus vehicles, some of which will be used to provide people with mobility problems in more rural areas of the region with a bus service.
Geoff Inskip, Chief Executive of Centro said: “Centro is committed to providing elderly and disabled people in the West Midlands with a comprehensive and easy to use public transport system, which is why we provide one of the best concessionary travel schemes in the country.
“Ring & Ride plays a vital role in helping people with mobility problems who cannot use conventional public transport lead more independent lives and is in demand more now than ever before.
“That is why the introduction of these new, state-of-the-art buses is so important. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with West Midlands Special Needs Transport to continue enhancing the Ring & Ride service further for its users.”
Ring and Ride, which will be celebrating its 25 year anniversary in December this year, is the fourth largest organisation in the world providing transport for people with mobility problems, only New York, Stockholm and Los Angeles have bigger operations.
Ring & Ride is available from 8am to 11pm, 365 days a year. Users simply phone a special telephone number to arrange and book their journey.
People can register for the Ring & Ride service by calling 0121 333 3107. More information can be found at www.ringandride.org
