Ting – the ‘Uber style’ bus service that covers towns such as St Neots, Cambourne, Sawtry and surrounding villages – is to get a new operator.
Stagecoach has been replaced by Vectare who will take on the demand responsive bus service from November 28 – 13 months after its successful launch.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CAPCA) says Vectare submitted a “successful tender bid” to run the West Huntingdonshire service.
“Vectare is a transport solutions provider that uses technology to provide excellent passenger transport services,” said a CAPCA spokesperson.
Ting was introduced to provide better transport links for those in rural areas and to support young people who might previously have used parents for lifts.
It also aims to encourage more use of public transport.
Ting services will now run for an additional 14 hours a week, operating between the hours of 6am – 8pm Monday – Saturday.
Vectare’s customer service team will be available by telephone and social media throughout the operational hours of the service.
The CAPCA spokesperson said: “Vectare will be bringing their team of friendly drivers to operate the service, and in addition they will introduce their ‘passenger promise’ which ensures that no passenger will be left stranded.
“If their bus doesn’t turn up or is full, and the next bus is more than 30 minutes away, Vectare will pay for a taxi, whether to your destination or back home.
“There will be some changes to the service, with users needing to install a new app and a change to the customer services phone number, but users will still be able to track buses in real time via the app, and contactless payments will continue to be accepted on board”.
Peter Nathanail, commercial and operations director at Vectare, said “We’re delighted to be working with the Combined Authority on this exciting and innovative transport service.
“Rural communities need sustainable, affordable public transport more than ever now, and we’re proud to be able to play a part in that by taking over the operation of the Ting Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service.
“We’ll be introducing brand new buses, longer operating hours and a range of great value fares and tickets, all underpinned by our Passenger Promise customer service commitment.”
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson said: “At a time where our bus services are under immense pressure and our rural routes are amongst the worst affected, finding a sustainable, affordable, and convenient bus service that supports these rural communities is a priority for me.
“I am delighted that Ting, a new type of bus service, is attracting a new generation of younger travellers and delivering a real shift in how people travel, as well as ensuring that members of our community in these areas can still access vital services such as hospitals and supermarkets.
“Vectare is a small company, but they have a very high standards of customer service and delivery, and I am delighted that they are able to increase Ting’s hours of service and that they will continue to offer amazing flexibility in the booking service across the patch.”
Vectare will be taking over the operation of Ting from Monday 28th November.
Existing Ting customers can book their Ting journeys, just before they travel, either by telephone to a dedicated call centre or directly using a new and improved app.
With the change of operators, the telephone number for the call centre will change. From November Ting will start earlier in the morning to help people get to work, with bookings from 0600 instead of 0700, and the service will run until 2000, six days a week.
Details of the new call centre number and new free, downloadable Ting app will be made known shortly.
