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BBC News
11-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hereford's free Zipper bus service to be axed, says mayor
A city's free bus service that has been taking people on short journeys since 2023 is to be axed next year, amid concerns over City Council has said its three green, electric Zipper buses, named Handsome Norman, Pilot and Green Horse, will stop running in 2026 when the contract month, the council said the buses were averaging almost 500 passenger journeys per day, describing the figures as "incredible" and proof of the increasing popularity of the of Hereford Kevin Tillett said it had been a tough decision. "The bottom line is it is costing us a huge amount of money to run this free bus service," he stated. He added an estimate given before the service started had proved "a bit unrealistic"."We are only a parish council and we have a very, very modest budget," he said. Passenger Alison Walker said she used the service "all the time" to pick up her granddaughter on Thursdays and to get to work on Saturdays and Sundays, describing the provision as "great".But she complained: "Everything we have for free is taken away from us."She said a lot of older people used the service and said charging passengers fares would be better than losing it. "I'd pay a pound to go on it," she said. Brian Howarth, who uses the Zipper nearly every day for shopping, visiting town, and "just to get out", said: "If you want to do any shopping in Asda, it's a long walk from the bus station."He said losing the Zippers "impacted everything", adding: "You'll just have to walk." The mayor said each journey was currently costing £1.80 per said if journeys were paid for, people would not use the buses."We would have to be charging well in excess of £2 a journey to even make it slightly pay its way. We'd probably still end up having to subsidise it," he said. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Incredible' number of journeys on Hereford's free green Zipper buses
A fleet of buses, offering free travel, have proven to be popular with travellers during their first year in service, a local authority has City Council said its three electric Zipper buses had averaged almost 500 passenger journeys per day between March and busiest single day over the past year saw more than 800 passenger journeys, the council buses have been named Handsome Norman, Pilot and Green Horse have been providing free-of-charge travel across the city since November 2023. A council spokesperson said a typical month saw more than 15,000 journeys made by passengers – with October being the best month recorded so far, with more than 17,000 journeys."These incredible figures reflect the increasing popularity of the Zipper bus," they claimed journey numbers were steadily trending upwards, and said the town's Asda supermarket was the most popular bus stop, with the train station second and Maylord Orchards third busiest. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
