Andover’s DRT gets soft launched

Tuesday 11th March 2025

The latest addition to the DRT scene ‘soft launched’ last week. Funded by Hampshire County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan the service involves two vehicles serving a rural area centred on Andover in the Northern Test Valley.

The operation uses Padam software with on the road operations in the hands of Community First, a community bus organisation with extensive experience running Dial-a-Ride type services in various parts of Hampshire (Basingstoke, East Hampshire, Fareham/Gosport, Havant, New Forest and Winchester) using a “Connect” brand as well as operating scheduled local bus circular route 44 linking Eastleigh and Chandler’s Ford with Hiltingbury

This new service is being branded as Connect Transport On Demand utilising two minibuses on Mondays to Saturdays between 07:00 to 19:00. I’m not sure why, but Community First’s website states “each passenger can make up to 6 single journeys per week”.

It seems very odd to ration use of the service, especially as fairly high fares are charged, there’s no concessionary pass availability and DRT operations are not known for an excess of popularity over availability.

An eight seat Mercedes Vito has been acquired for the service with a 16 seat Mercedes Sprinter currently on loan pending delivery of a new model next month.

The eight seater has two seats alongside the driver and three seats facing each other in the saloon. It would be very cosy if all six seats were to be taken by strangers. You’d also need to unpack everyone if those sitting by the door were alighting after someone sitting in the middle.

The two minibuses use the lay-by alongside the head on stands in Andover’s bus station to facilitate easy boarding and alighting to and from the vehicles but the downside is the waiting area at this point is rather exposed and there’s no seating.

That won’t be a problem in these initial few weeks as there are very few passengers travelling as befitting its ‘soft launch’. No-one currently knows about it.

Indeed I’m grateful to blog reader Andy who tipped me off about the new service last week, himself having spotted the two minibuses parked up last week in the lay-by.

Unsurprisingly with the ‘soft launch’, I had no problem booking a journey using a new Padam generic app called Book a Journey. You can book three days in advance so last Friday I booked a pick up from outside Andover railway station for yesterday morning at 11:40 with Scott duly appearing in the eight seater impressively at 11:39.

Scott had been a bus driver with Stagecoach in the town but switched to Community First to drive the new Connect Transport On Demand service as it provides more convenient shift arrangements for family reasons. He started last week and it turned out I was his very first passenger on Monday.

There was some confusion over the availability of concessionary passes and Scott sought advice on his phone and was told they’re not valid but I pointed out the booking app accepts them and reduces the fare to be paid to zero. To avoid any issues I paid the £4.50 for my two mile, 10 minute ride to Penton Corner on the western edge of town – a bus stop also served by the 20 minute frequency route 8 jointly operated by Stagecoach and Salisbury Reds.

Scott explained destinations available in the Connect Transport On Demand area have been chosen as they’re not served by the existing bus network (or have a very limited service) but my chosen bus stop was en route to those destinations so that was why the algorithm accepted it. A map on the app shows which bus stops are observed by Connect Transport On Demand.

Later yesterday, I received an email from Fabian, who oversees the service for Community First, apologising for the confusion over the concessionary pass availability and confirming the software issue was being pursued with Padam. I later spoke to him on the phone as there was further confusion by Hampshire County Council’s online fares information being different to that posted on the Community First website (which didn’t mention a fare of £4.50).

Fabian confirmed the latter was being updated.

I was pleased to be able to pass on these feedback points demonstrating the wisdom of a ‘soft launch’ perhaps – although I think it’s so ‘soft’ only Andy and I know about it.

When I saw Scott later that morning back at Andover bus station he also passed on the welcome news a promotional leaflet was being printed and will be distributed to residences within the catchment area very soon. Fabian hopes it will all go live “any day now”.

As well as the app, bookings can be made using a phone line answered by Community First for all its Connect services which is when I spoke to Fabian. There’s also a Padam operated generic “Book A Journey web portal” through which you can book a journey.

It’s URL is start.solent.padam.io and it’s been designed to cater for other schemes around the country but currently only has Northern Test Valley and West Wight FYTBus. I can see this adding a layer of complexity for passengers if more schemes (“territories”) are added. The same applies to Padam’s new generic Book a Journey app which now offers both Northern Test Valley and West Wight FYT Bus (see below).

It’s good to see Connect Transport on Demand in the capable hands of a well established Community Transport operator and it’ll be interesting to see if ridership can be generated from people living in villages with a poor, or no, conventional bus service. The funding is for two years with a potential third year extension. Experience of such schemes elsewhere doesn’t inspire confidence this one will work.

Roger French

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