RESPONSIVE ACCESS TRANSPORT

Responsive Access Transport (RAT) is the new name in Redditch for Community Transport. Until 2002 Community Transport in Redditch was provided by Responsive Community Transport but due to both financial and legal reasons the operation folded. A key part of the new six vehicle operation under the name of Responsive Access Transport is the provision of a three Worcestershire County Council contract for the provision of a demand responsive that runs four or five times a day through Feckenham, Inkberrow, Stockwood, Crowle and Tibberton which is designed to compliment the bus service 350 which is largely provided by Harding's Coaches. The RAT service carries the service number 953 and is operated by two of the Renault Master vehicles owned by the Passenger Fleet Transport Unit of Worcestershire County Council. The buses are part of a batch of vehicles that were purchased using money from a successful Rural Bus Challenge bid to the Department for Transport in 2001. As part of the County Council's strategy to improve public transport a network of low floor bus services are being introduced under the brand name of easyLink. To compliment these services a number of feeder services are also being introduced using the brand name of flexi-Link. The flexi-Link routes will all be operated by a fleet of 15-seat Rohill Harrier bodied Renault Master vehicles. First Wyvern have operated two of the same type of vehicle which are also owned by Worcestershire County Council. After trading in a period of administration Rohill finally closed in October 2005 and all production of their various accessible minibuses mainly based on the Renault Master chassis ended. As part of 26th February 2006 bus service changes the 953 was withdrawn and the two Rohill vehicles were returned to the county council.