Herefordshire Council and Hereford City Council are both hoping to launch a FREE electric bus service in Hereford City Centre.
The service is likely to run from the Transport Hub near Hereford Railway Station, through to the city centre and then onto the Halo Leisure Pool near Asda.
Councillors are hoping to provide this service for FREE, or for a nominal fee, in order to tempt members of the public to ditch their cars and to use a greener method of travel in the city centre.
This news comes alongside a decision from Herefordshire Council Councillors to scrap the plans for a Western Bypass and Southern Link Road for Hereford, with councillors following on and delivering their promise when elected to take action on the climate emergency that has been declared by Herefordshire Council and many other councils from across the United Kingdom.
A press release from Hereford City Council said:
Hereford City Council have successfully bid for a project for free electric buses to link significant locations around the City, together with the Herefordshire Bus Users Forum.
The Railway Station, Hospital, the new Primary Health Centre at Station Approach and the city centre shops and tourist attractions will be linked as part of the Stronger Towns Fund bid to Government. The service will cross over the Old Bridge and stop in the car park by the swimming pool to support the ongoing development of the river as a tourist attraction and link with buses from the south of the city.
This is a long-term project, one of many being put forward as groups within the city push for up to £25m of funding to help support economic recovery and levelling up.
The independent Towns Fund board (called the #StrongerHereford board) is a blend of people from private, public and community sectors who all have Herefordshire in their heart. They are a mix of parents, students, educators, business owners, employers and employees, creatives and politicians, and Mayor Kath Hey is also among the board, representing the City.
The City Council hopes that the project will allow Hereford to continue to recover from the ongoing pandemic, and in the coming months and years ensure the City is better linked for residents and visitors alike.
For more information on the Towns Fund Board, visit: www.strongerhereford.co.uk