It’s not everyday that you could catch a bus that connects you to a vineyard, a chocolaterie and a dairy but for residents in Central Rushcliffe this has become a reality thanks to the launch of a new Nottbus On Demand service in the area.
The new Central Rushcliffe Zone is the seventh of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Nottbus On Demand zones and joins others in North and South Ollerton, South Newark, West Rushcliffe and Mansfield, where an evening zone is in operation.
Villages including Colston Bassett, Hickling, Hickling Pastures, Kinoulton, Upper Broughton, Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, Costock, Bunny, Bradmore, Ruddington, Keyworth and Tollerton can now use the new service which will also connect them in to selected points in East Leake, Keyworth and Cotgrave as well as Gamston Morrisons to connect to other bus services.
Such is the variety of local businesses within the new zone that passengers can board the bus to travel to sample local produce from Sarsfield Chocolaterie, the Hanwell Wine Estate and Colston Bassett Dairy to name a few.
Other points of interest in the zone include Rushcliffe Country Park, Nottingham City Airport and Café and the Spire Nottingham Hospital.
Journeys can be booked with just a few taps of a smartphone thanks to an easy-to-use app, but passengers can also book by calling the dedicated Nottsbus On Demand phone on: 0115 804 0404.
A full map of the zone can be found on the Nottinghamshire County Council website: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/travel-notts/travelling-by-bus/nottsbusondemand/nottsbus-on-demand-zones
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, visited both the chocolaterie and wine estate with the Nottbus On Demand bus to mark the launch of the new zone, and said: “This will be our second Nottbus On Demand zone in Rushcliffe following the launch of the West Rushcliffe Zone in May 2023.
“This new service in Central Rushcliffe is great news for residents who will be able to tear up the timetable and travel around the zone between any bus stop and time within the operating hours.
“This is another example of how we’re working towards making bus travel better for communities across Nottinghamshire and in Central Rushcliffe, being able to travel more flexibly may encourage those who had never used previous bus services in the areas to get on board.
“This new service will of course be a vital lifeline to those in the communities it serves when it comes to accessing medical appointments for example.
“Being able to connect into other scheduled bus services in Cotgrave, Ruddington, Keyworth and at Gamston Morrisons is also really important to make sure that passengers can travel further afield than within the zone and this is why we have also added a connection into East Leake where passengers can pick up the West Rushcliffe Nottbus On Demand service to travel onto locations including East Midlands Parkway Train Station.”
To find out more about Nottbus On Demand and how to claim a free first journey, visit: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/travel-notts/travelling-by-bus/nottsbusondemand
Photographed below: Councillor Neil Clarke with Helenka Brown, Owner of Hanwell Wine Estate.