New on-demand bus service announced

The service can be booked through an app or call centre, the council said

A new on-demand bus service will be launched in a Leicestershire town in the new year.

Leicestershire County Council has announced the measure as part of a series of services serving Melton Mowbray and nearby villages.

The on-demand service, which allows passengers to book a bus journey when they need it, will launch on 6 January.

It will run seven days a week and cover new housing developments, some industrial estates and places of interest that are not currently served, the council said.

The authority said the changes would also see additional villages included as stops on the Melton to Loughborough route.

It said larger buses would serve the schools and colleges, operating at key commute times to cater for students and non-entitled students.

All re-designed routes will serve both secondary schools in Melton.

A further on demand service will operate across zones in Melton, serving settlements including Harby, Long Clawson, Beeby, Hoby, and Bottesford.

Council cabinet member for transport Ozzy O'Shea said: "We have looked at flexible transport solutions that best support the area.

"The smaller on demand buses will operate in zones to maximise convenient connections, and bus users will be able to use an app or a call centre to book their journeys."

The new routes will be funded using government cash from for the county's Bus Service Improvement Plan.