Bus company Stagecoach East Midlands has launched an app for NHS staff to book travel in Hull.
The Stagecoach Connect app will allow NHS workers from Hull Royal Infirmary to book their travel to and from work for free.
It follows the launch of several dedicated shuttle services for hospital workers across the region.
Matt Cranwell, managing director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are pleased to widen the trial of the Stagecoach Connect app to help support our brilliant NHS staff with getting to and from their shifts.
“Not only does this new technology ensure that social distancing can be effectively implemented on buses, in line with the Government regulations, but we also hope that it will give NHS staff more control and peace of mind when it comes to planning their commute and using our buses safely.”
NHS staff at Kings Mill Hospital in Mansfield and Hull Royal Infirmary, book your journey to the hospital and home again with Stagecoach Connect ➜ https://t.co/37CtWUxpNF pic.twitter.com/s3wMneccgo
— Stagecoach East Midlands (@StagecoachEMid) June 17, 2020
Staff who download the app can select their location for pick up and the time they wish to arrive at Hull Royal Infirmary, then confirm a time for their return journey home.
NHS staff will need to show their ID card to indicate to the driver that they are eligible for the service.
Councillor Daren Hale, deputy leader at Hull City Council, said: “Ensuring that key workers have been able to access their place of work and support the communities that, now more than ever, rely on their expertise and assistance, has been one of the most important challenges we have faced during this pandemic.
“Feedback from the shuttle service has been extremely positive and shown that many people using the service do not usually use conventional bus services, thus presenting an opportunity to reduce traffic at Hull’s hospital sites.”
The trial follows discussions with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Hull City Council in a joint effort to support key workers needs during Covid-19 to ensure vital public transport links remain in place while ensuring social distancing guidelines are adhered to.
