Transport for Wales to launch new DRT scheme in Ruthin

Credit: Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales (TfW) has announced that it is set to introduce a pioneering Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) scheme in and around the Ruthin area, in partnership with Denbighshire County Council.

Known as ‘fflecsi’, the new DRT scheme is one of only a dozen such examples in Wales and joins pilots in Denbigh and Prestatyn in Denbighshire.

As part of the Council’s Climate Emergency declaration, the service will be operated by the country’s first-ever zero-emission, 100 per cent battery-operated, 16-seat minibus, and has been made possible due to support from the Welsh government and the Welsh Government Energy Service.

The transport scheme will also provide useful feedback on the suitability of such vehicles in other similar situations and locations across Wales.

Intending passengers will be able to book their DRT service one hour ahead by either downloading and using the fflecsi app, on the fflecsi.wales website or by phoning a dedicated call centre. The app can then keep the customer informed of any changes in pick-up times.

Ruthin’s fflecsi will be available within the town of Ruthin itself and will be introducing a bus service for many of the residents for the first time. The vehicle is also able to travel around most of the town’s urban housing culs-de-sac.

Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with responsibility for Transport, said: “fflecsi is a new scheme to make bus services more accessible and useful for people to make every day journeys. It gives passengers more control over how they get around by providing access to reliable and flexible travel, whilst also helping to build a greener Wales.”

James Price, Transport for Wales‘ CEO, said: “This innovative service is an important part of Transport for Wales and the Welsh government’s vision to reduce car usage and promote greener forms of travel, while also supporting the local economy and ensuring access to public transport. We have been pleased with the success of the fflecsi pilots across Wales and are delighted to be able to expand the service with a new electric vehicle.”

Councillor Brian Jones, Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “fflecsi offers a solution that can tailor passenger needs much more specifically. The range of pick-ups and destinations is greatly improved. Traditional bus services in Ruthin and the villages to the south and west of the town have traditionally been quite thin. We hope that, by being flexible, we can offer more opportunities for existing passengers, and we can also attract new users.”