More than 12,000 trips taken on Leicester's new free buses

Three 21-seat buses have been bought at a cost of £1m

More than 12,000 journeys were taken on Leicester's new free electric bus service in its first few weeks, officials said.

The Leicester City Council-backed Greenlines Hop launched on 3 April to carry passengers around the city centre.

It serves the city's railway station and bus stations, as well as the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The council said passenger numbers had been rising "steadily".

A council spokesperson said: "In total, 12,000 trips have been made in just its first 23 days.

"The response from the public has so far been positive, with people clearly welcoming the idea of a free shuttle that links Leicester's transport hubs with popular destinations."

Frog-themed

The council said the buses would run for 18 months as a trial and it would continue to evaluate and assess passenger numbers.

The authority said the new service will particularly help people with mobility issues get around.

The service, which also runs to the Highcross shopping centre, the King Richard III Visitor Centre and Mandela Park, has three 21-seat mini-buses running every 10 minutes on an anti-clockwise loop with 12 stops.

The frog-themed buses run between 08:00 BST to 18:00 BST from Monday to Saturday.

The buses cost around £1m and were bought with funding from the Department for Transport's Transforming Cities Fund.