A FLEXIBLE bus scheme will be coming to an end in Newport next month following the conclusion of a year-long trial.

Fflecsi was a pilot scheme for "demand-responsive travel", which involved buses not fixed to set timetables or routes. Instead, residents could call or use an app to book a bus, which would then turn up - similar to a taxi service - at the requested time.

Newport was one of the first areas in Wales to try out this new form of bus travel, and the one-year trial will come to an end on Sunday, September 25.

Transport for Wales, which has been running the Fflecsi scheme with the Welsh Government, said the trial had been "successful" and had provided "substantial data... to improve future public transport route planning" in the area.

The organisers will also measure how travel habits changed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

City bus firm Newport Transport will announce a new bus timetable in a fortnight, and new services will be introduced from Sunday, September 4. This means passengers will have a three-week transition period before Fflecsi services come to a stop.

Andrew Sherrington, the head of bus network and service development at Transport for Wales, said the firm was "continuously looking at ways to improve public transport and provide a network that meets customers’ needs". 

He added: "The Fflecsi pilot in Newport allowed us to implement and develop demand responsive transport in an urban setting and has provided us with a wealth of useful information on the journeys being taken around the city.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the pilot and encourage them to look out for the new bus timetable that will be announced later this month.”

Scott Pearson, the managing director of Newport Transport, said there would be "a number of service enhancements from Sunday, September 4 designed to mitigate the Fflecsi pilot coming to an end".