Sustainable Warwickshire

Under the Road Users category at the national City Transport and Traffic Innovation (CiTTI) awards, the service was successful in winning the Public Transport award in recognition of its innovation and benefits to local residents.

Making its first journey with paying customers on Monday 23 May 2022, the IndieGo PLUS service – provided by expert provider Liftango and Stagecoach working with Warwickshire County Council – remains the County’s first app based demand responsive transport offering. This service operates between the hours of 6am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday.

IndieGo PLUS offers residents in Hatton and the West Warwick area a low-cost, on-demand way of getting around their local area. Residents are able to book and pay directly from their smartphone through the IndieGo PLUS mobile app and, using the latest technology, track their bus in real-time to the meeting point of their choice. For those who prefer a more traditional method, a call centre is also available.

The service is a fast and low-cost way to connect people to places across the West Warwick area, with prices from just £2 for a single trip, free travel for Concessionary pass holders, and discounts for children. Better still, journeys can be booked two weeks in advance up until the day of travel through the app or by telephone. All vehicles are ramp-accessible for wheelchair and mobility scooter users and feature Wi-Fi and USB charging points.

Since its launch, the service has seen high levels of demand and has:

• Made 40,923 journeys
• Carried 49,200 passengers; and
• Travelled a total of 115,433 miles so far!

Not only is the IndieGo PLUS service better on residents' pockets, with its low-cost fares, the use of smaller buses complying with the most up-to-date emissions requirements only responding to residents' demand for public transport, is better for the environment and contributes to Warwickshire County Council’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

The IndieGo PLUS services’ planet-friendly credentials don’t stop there, provider Liftango operate a carbon positive policy, which means that each and every journey taken with the service will be more than offset through a wide-variety of carbon offsetting activities.

Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, said: “We are delighted and rightly proud that our IndieGo PLUS service in Hatton and West Warwick has been honoured with a national award for innovation. This service has proved to be truly a game changer for public transport in Warwickshire and a real demonstration of our commitment to ensuring our residents are supported through excellent transport infrastructure while creating a county that is sustainable now and for future generations.

“I hope to see as many residents as possible continuing to make the best use of this fantastic service."

Residents in West Warwick and South Kenilworth can book their IndieGo PLUS journey today:

• Download the app: Search ‘IndieGo PLUS’ on your favourite app store
• Call the call centre: 01926 895559 (The call centre is open between 8.30am to 5pm)

Find out more about the service here: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/indiegoplus

The complete list of CiTTI Award 2023 winners can be found here: https://www.cittimagazine.co.uk/news/awards/winners-of-citti-awards-2023-announced.html