Travelling to the University of Warwick by bus has got a lot easier this week thanks to a new partnership between the University of Warwick and bus operator Travel De Courcey.

On Monday 20 new bus services revved up for the first time to link many districts of Coventry to the University of Warwick’s main campus.

The University is subsiding the start-up and development of the new bus routes, as part of its Green Travel Plan.

The new bus services will link the University main campus to the City Centre, Eastern Green, Radford Road, Brandon Road, Bell Green, Wood End, Stoney Stanton Road, Keresley, Humber Road, Wheelwright Lane, Cheylesmore, Tile Hill, Terry Road, Holbrooks, Wyken and Stoke Aldermoor. A separate service will also link the University’s main campus to its Wellesbourne campus in Warwickshire.

Staff and students at the University of Warwick are being offered free travel on all the new bus services for the first three months and will then be offered subsidised travel by the University at fare rates lower than the commercial alternatives. Staff will be able to purchase an annual travel pass from the University to travel on the new bus services, which they can pay for through salary deduction of equal amounts each month, or they can purchase bus tickets with cash as they travel.

The new routes will also be opened to the general public for the normal travel rate.

Graham Hine, Transport Manager at the University of Warwick, said: “Introducing these new bus services is great news for the staff and students at the University as well as the citizens of Coventry.

“They will link the University campus to Coventry Railway Station, the city centre and many areas of the City, providing convenient public transport for all to travel directly to and from the University campus and the Warwick Arts Centre.”

Bob Wildman, general manager of Travel de Courcey, said: “We have worked in close partnership with the University over the last two years to plan and develop this scheme.

“It is a huge step forward in providing staff and students at the University with the opportunity to use bus services that have never been available before.

“Ten low-emission vehicles will be operating on 20 new routes extending throughout Coventry and as far a field as Wellesbourne in Warwickshire for staff and students to access the whole of the university site.

“By offering new services that encompass the whole of the city and beyond which have been designed specifically for staff and students, we hope to encourage them to change their mode of transport from cars to buses.”

The company hopes that the scheme, which has resulted in employment for ten drivers, will establish a developing partnership with the University which could result in similar environmentally-friendly services being expanded.

Travel de Courcey, the largest privately owned coach and bus operator in Warwickshire and the West Midlands, is an industry leader in the pioneering use of hybrid and electric buses.

This latest scheme highlights the company’s on-going innovation and investment in green technology to benefit passengers and the environment.

Notes to Editors
Images: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/april2011/bus_03.jpg
Bob Wildman, from De Courcey Travel, the University of Warwick's Transport Manager Graham Hine and Mike De Courcey

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/april2011/bus_04.jpg
The University of Warwick's Transport Manager Graham Hine joined Mike De Courcey and Bob Wildman from De Courcey Travel for a ride on one of the new bus routes

A map of the new routes can be found by logging on to http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/april2011/all_routes_map.jpg

For more information, please contact Luke Hamer, Assistant Press Officer, University of Warwick on 02476 575 601 or 07824 541142, or alternatively email L.Hamer@warwick.ac.uk.