A brand new bus service is ready to drop into the Grantham area this month.

Grantham South CallConnect is the latest addition to a county-wide network that has already changed the lives of thousands of residents throughout Lincolnshire.

With the award-winning initiative due to branch out into Isaac Newton country on 29 June, CallConnect is set to become the apple of every local passenger’s eye.

Anita Ruffle, Lincolnshire County Council’s Public Transport Strategy Manager, said:

“It’s entirely appropriate that we are launching CallConnect in the area around Sir Isaac Newton’s birthplace because we are very serious about providing a top-class service.

“Newton was also fascinated by ‘motion’ and came up with a number of laws to explain it. We feel the same way about getting our passengers from where they are to where they want to be.”

CallConnect allows residents to book their bus journeys in advance and travel to and from local pick-up points. It also dovetails with the InterConnect fixed-route bus service.

This is especially important for people living in rural or isolated areas, a fact recognised during a recent tour of the county by Dr Stuart Burgess, the Government’s Rural Advocate and Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities.

After travelling on a CallConnect bus himself, Dr Burgess said:

“CallConnect is exactly the kind of innovative solution we would like to see rolling out across the country to tackle issues of isolation in remote locations. It provides a thought-provoking insight into the possibilities for the future of rural transport. “Public transport could be the lifeline for remote communities as competition for jobs increases and as more and more people have to travel to receive advice and benefits.”

Anita Ruffle added:

“CallConnect has already had a huge impact on public transport in the county and has been amazingly popular. We are delighted that we are now in a position to expand the service and make its benefits available to even more residents.”

The service will cover the area from as far north as Allington to as far south as Little Bytham. It is also a chance for local people to discover even more of the area’s architecture and heritage, taking in attractions such as Harlaxton Manor, Stoke Rochford Hall and Belvoir Castle.

To use CallConnect, simply call the Booking Centre on 0845 234 3344 (lo-call rate) to register your details.  You can then request your journey up to seven days in advance. For same day requests, please allow at least two hours notice.

You can also submit journey requests on-line at www.lincsinterconnect.com 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.  Bookings are made on a first-come, first-served basis. The Booking Centre is open to take requests Monday to Friday 8.30-17.00 and 9.00-16.00 on Saturdays.