Connecting Communities with The Robin, Gloucestershire’s Demand Responsive Transport

Trains and buses have long formed the backbone of public transport in the UK. In 2025 alone, more 1.7 billion train journeys and 3.7 billion bus journeys were made, helping people reach work, education, healthcare, leisure activities, and outdoor spaces. While these traditional forms of public transport remain vital, they do not always meet the needs of people living in rural or less-connected areas. In recent years, these gaps have increasingly been addressed by a more flexible option: Demand Responsive Transport (DRT). 

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DRT operates as “bookable” bus services that sits somewhere between a conventional bus and a taxi. Passengers request pick-ups and drop-offs based on their needs, while vehicles operate along shared routes and carry multiple users. Because services run within defined areas and adapt to demand, DRT is particularly well suited to places where fixed-route bus services are limited or difficult to operate. 

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The expansion of DRT gained momentum in 2021 when the Department for Transport invested £20 million to provide new services in 15 local authorities, including Gloucestershire, with the aim of improving transport access in rural and remote communities where standard public transport services are limited. By linking residents to town centres, train stations, and local green spaces, DRT helps bridge gaps in the transport network and reconnect people with essential services and opportunities. 

 

We experienced the connective power of the DRT first-hand through The Robin, Gloucestershire’s DRT service, during a journey to Lake 32 in the Cotswold Water Park. 

 

A Journey with the Robin 

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Our journey with the Robin began a week before when we booked our trip. Preferring to book online, I visited the GCC’s How to Book the Robin webpage which seamlessly connected me to the booking portal. After quickly making an account and selecting my desired pickup stop, time of pickup and preferred drop-off location, I received confirmation that my trip was booked.  

 

On the day of, we started out trip at Gloucester station, boarding the 9:50am train to Kemble. Just 30 minutes later, we arrived to find the Robin waiting at its stop—on time and ready to go. With only one other passenger onboard, the journey was calm and comfortable, offering a relaxed ride through the countryside. The Robin dropped us off at the top of Mill Lane in Somerford Keynes, from where we continued on foot toward Lake 32, surrounded by the vivid greens of the Cotswolds landscape. 

 

The experience was simple, well organised, and easy to follow, even for those who do not regularly use public transport. Without access to a car, reaching this part of the countryside would have been difficult. Instead, the combination of rail and DRT allowed us to travel seamlessly from city to nature, demonstrating how these services can work together to improve connectivity and accessibility. 

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More broadly, services like the Robin show how DRT can open up new opportunities for people to engage with their local environment. By offering flexible and affordable transport, particularly in rural and remote areas, DRT helps reduce transport inequality, supports wellbeing, and ensures that access to green spaces is not limited to car owners. In doing so, it strengthens connections between communities and the landscapes around them. In that sense, DRT services are more than just a mode of transport—they are vehicles of opportunity. The only question left is: where will they take us next?