A NEW on-demand bus service has launched to help connect residents in Warminster, Mere and south-west Wiltshire.

The new Wiltshire Connect service has been established to help reduce isolation, improve access, and support sustainable travel across the region.

It follows on from the success of the Wiltshire Connect rollouts in both the Pewsey Vale and the Royal Wootton Bassett and Malmesbury area.

The new service also provides new connections to Frome in Somerset, and Shaftesbury and Gillingham in Dorset.

It offers seamless connections to rail services at Warminster, Gillingham, Tisbury and Frome, plus new direct links to major attractions such as Stourhead, Longleat, Shearwater and Center Parcs.

The buses operate on an on-demand basis, which allows passengers to book a bus from a stop of their choosing in the service area to their destination at a time to suit them, either by booking through the Wiltshire Connect smartphone app or by phone.

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The new service will replace the existing Mere Taxi-bus and bus routes 54 and 58 that currently run in the area.

An improved timetabled service, Frome Bus 57/A, will also operate between Warminster, Mere and Gillingham from 1 September to complement Wiltshire Connect.

One of the fleet of three buses is fully electric and all the buses are fully accessible, with either low-floor access or passenger lifts and space for up to four wheelchair users.

Councillor Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, said he is delighted to bring the service to Warminster, Mere and south-west Wiltshire area.

“The service has been such a huge success in the Pewsey Vale and Royal Wootton Bassett and Malmesbury areas and is connecting communities and reducing rural isolation across the county,” he said.

A map of the areas covered by the new service Picture: Wiltshire Connect

“Booking a ride at a time to suit you is as easy as using the Wiltshire Connect app or calling our helpful team.

“We welcome all passengers and are proud to offer fully accessible buses, with step-free lift access and space for up to four wheelchair users on board.

“Wiltshire Connect is transforming how we travel in rural areas. This expansion brings flexible, sustainable transport to even more communities, linking people seamlessly to rail travel and local attractions, and helping people to access work, education, leisure and essential services.”

Head of regional development at Great Western Railway Dan Okey said: “Good, efficient local transport links are vital in bringing the railway closer to people as we become mindful of the need to live and travel more sustainably, and in supporting the local economies that we serve.

“Warminster is a really important station for the community of this part of Wiltshire, both for residents and visitors, and we are delighted to have been able to work with Wiltshire Council to help deliver direct onward journeys to Stourhead, one of Wiltshire’s most iconic attractions.”

Philip Niemand, general manager at Stourhead, said: “We are delighted to be part of the launch of the new Wiltshire Connect service.

“At Stourhead, we are committed to becoming a carbon net zero heritage attraction, and this innovative transport initiative is a really positive step towards that goal.

“By offering a more sustainable and accessible way to travel, Wiltshire Connect not only reduces the environmental impact of journeys to and from Stourhead, but also helps our local communities.

“Importantly, it provides new opportunities for less mobile residents to visit more often and enjoy the estate at their leisure.

“We’re genuinely excited by the difference this service can make – both in connecting people to nature and culture, and in supporting a greener future for Wiltshire.”

Buses operate from 6am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 7.30pm on Saturdays, but not on bank holidays.

For more information and to download the app, visit www.wiltshireconnect.co.uk or call 01225 712900.