Case Histories › Preston Community Transport

More responsive rural bus service with Autopage

As a provident society with charitable status, Preston Community Transport provides diallable services for the people of Preston who find it difficult to use conventional transport, running services in the town such as Shopmobility.

Problem

In partnership with Lancashire County Council, PCT also provides a rural bus service to surrounding villages which requires operation in outlying areas where traditional radio communication is not available,

Solution

The Autopage for Windows system has enabled the charity to develop a vital service for its users, linking town with country. Operations Manager Brian Derbyshire says: "Our rural bus service has a demand responsive element to it and this is what we use Autopage for. Potential passengers can ring in and ask for journeys off the normal bus route. The despatcher sends a text message via Autopage to the bus drivers telling them the passenger's location, linking it in with an A-Z reference, and the time to be picked up and journey destination.

The Autopage system enables us to send messages quickly. We're not limited to the day before but can send details literally five minutes before the bus sets off." The system also allows journeys to be booked days and even weeks in advance, for regular bookings to be diaried in and for bookings to be held in a queue. "It is extremely responsive," Mr Derbyshire says, "and at 10p or less per text is also cost effective. The bus drivers are happy with it and we have a back up system where they 'OK' the message to say they've received it."