Following the success of the first fflecsi pilot in Wales which launched in two areas of Newport last year (Rogerstone and St Julian’s), Transport for Wales, in partnership with Newport City Council and Newport Bus are undertaking a huge expansion of the fflecsiservice, meaning that a fleet of 9 small brand new buses will now serve the whole of Newport.
This new service will complement and enhance the existing scheduled bus services and will launch this summer.
The fflecsi buses will give many more people across Newport access to public transport, operating from 6.00am until 11.00pm (Monday – Saturday) enabling residents to make a much wider range of journeys from early morning until late in the evening. There will also be a Sunday service from 9.00am until 7.00pm. The scheme aims to make it easier for residents to get to work, school or appointments, for shopping, meeting friends or connecting with other buses and trains.
You pay on the bus like any other service and fares will be the same as on the scheduled Newport Bus services, concessionary passes and MyTravel Pass are also valid. The biggest difference is that you must book the bus through the app or over the phone. The app or call centre will offer you the best journey solution, whether that is by your local Newport bus or via the fflecsi service.
Councillor Roger Jeavons, deputy leader and cabinet member for city services, said: “We believe this is a great opportunity to improve the public transport network in the city and offer our residents enhanced bus services that give more choice and more flexibility with their journeys.
“One of the many positive aspects of fflecsi is that it will complement the scheduled services operated by Newport Bus, not replace them. I’m sure it will be popular with passengers and will have a life beyond the pilot. Newport is leading the way on providing public transport services fit for today and the future.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO, said: “This innovative service is an important part of Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government’s vision to reduce car usage and promote greener forms of travel, while also supporting the local economy and ensuring access to public transport. We have been pleased with the success of the fflecsi pilot in Newport and are delighted to be able to expand the service with nine brand-new buses.”
Lee Waters, Welsh government deputy minister for climate change, said: “I am delighted that the fflecsi bus service will now be rolled out across Newport following the success of the service in Rogerstone and St Julian’s. fflecsi is an exciting new scheme looking at the way we operate our transport system differently in Wales. It gives passengers more control over how they get around by providing them with access to reliable and flexible travel, whilst helping to build a greener Wales.”
Scott Pearson, Managing Director for Newport Transport, commented: “Newport Transport is once more at the forefront of public transport initiatives in the UK as the operator of a city-wide network of urban on-demand bus services. The extended fflecsiservice will be a useful complement to our scheduled bus network. As the main bus operator in Newport, we are confident that the interaction between fflecsi and the normal scheduled bus services will provide valuable information enabling our Operations Team to review the scheduled bus services for the people who live, work, study, shop and socialise in Newport, to ensure we provide a comprehensive customer demand-led network for the future”.
