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# On-demand bus service to end after carrying just 125 passengers in three months
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/on-demand-bus-service-to-end-after-carrying-just-125-passengers-in-three-months/
- Published: 2026-03-01T08:01:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-28T20:41:40.000Z
- Description: An on-demand bus service is being axed after councillors were told just 125 passengers had used it in the last three months.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, Transport, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:11, News

AN on-demand bus service is being axed after councillors were told just 125 passengers had used it in the last three months.

The LinkUp service was unveiled by Lichfield District Council [at the end of 2024](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/new-on-demand-minibus-service-to-connect-people-with-retail-areas-in-lichfield-and-burntwood/) with funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in a bid to connect rural communities.

Passengers could use an app or phone to book a journey for £3.

But the services could not mirror existing commercial routes – and a briefing note sent to councillors has now revealed how little the buses had been used recently.

It showed that over the last three months, just 125 residents travelled on the service. Of those, almost a third took journeys for free on concessionary passes.

The low usage comes after [a report in January](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/content/files/lichfield-moderngov-co-uk/documents/s20634/ukspf-reallocations.pdf) revealed six figure sums had been spent on the transport scheme since it began.

The LinkUp trial was [extended in November 2025](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/council-confirms-on-demand-bus-service-will-continue/), but the last of the pink buses will stop running on 28th March due to a lack of demand.

The briefing note to councillors said:

> “LinkUp was introduced in 2025 as a time-limited pilot, funded through UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  
>  
> “The service was designed to test whether an on-demand transport model could address unmet need in rural areas. It was not intended to become a permanent council service.  
>  
> “While the service is important to a small number of individuals overall demand remains low  
>  
> “Officers have explored whether a more sustainable or joint approach with neighbouring councils could be developed, however there has been no successful alternative.  
>  
> “With grant funding ending, the service would need to be funded directly from council tax, which is not considered sustainable or proportionate.”

The note to councillors confirmed that only 12 residents were now considered regular users of the LinkUp buses.

The figures saw Cllr Sue Woodward brand the scheme [“an absolute waste of public money”](https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/on-demand-bus-service-branded-absolute-waste-of-public-money/).

The Labour opposition group leader added:

> “The huge cost per journey is just ridiculous.”

Cllr Janice Silvester-Hall, Conservative cabinet member for the visitor economy, ecology and climate change, confirmed that the service would end after usage levels were lower than anticipated.

She also confirmed the cost of running the buses since they were introduced: 

> “LinkUp was introduced as a pilot service using external UK Shared Prosperity Funding of £207,000 in 2024-5 and £150,000 in 2025-6 which was designed to support the Levelling Up agenda.  
>  
> “As part of the various UKSPF initiatives, the service was aimed at testing whether an on-demand transport model could address unmet need in rural areas.   
>  
> “Following strong initial resident engagement – including over a thousand downloads of the app – usage has been lower than anticipated, with a small number of regular users. Therefore, the council has taken the difficult decision to end the service at the end of March.  
>  
> “Users are being contacted directly and provided with information on alternative transport options.  
>  
> “From 2026-27, the council has committed £200,000 a year within its budget for local transport support. Although the decision has been made to end the LinkUp pilot, this funding will be reallocated to new projects to ensure it delivers the greatest possible benefit to residents utilising the findings from the trial service.”