THE Big Lemon Electric Bus visited Melksham on Saturday 17th September, demonstrating and timing a possible new bus route from Melksham Railway Station to the town centre and residential and business areas.
The bus visit was an opportunity for people experience public transport in an electric vehicle and for the council to collect data about the practicality of using electric buses in the town.
“Around a hundred passengers took a ride on the zero-carbon bus – perhaps the shape of things to come,” said Graham Ellis, acting chair of the Melksham Transport User Group.
“With the bus waiting at the station when trains arrived, passengers connected from Swindon, Trowbridge and Westbury onto the bus, and in the town centre, passengers connected in from the bus from Frome and from Bradford-on-Avon.
“Timings are designed to drop people off for their work shifts, with the bus then returning to pick people up and drop them off in the town and at the station for return buses and trains to other towns.
“It was all great fun, but we are working much more seriously towards an all day, every day service which will complement other bus and train services in the future.
“Now that we have real practical data, we can make a much more accurate business case, with a view to having a sustainable service in the next year or so.
“A big ‘thank you’ to the Big Lemon, option 24/7, our volunteer team on the day and to everyone who supported us. Come along to ClimateFest on 2nd October to meet the team and learn more about ‘route 16’ and other buses and trains to, from and in Melksham.”