Go2Gate, a brand new demand responsive service created by Heathrow and Thames Valley Buses, started August 19.
The exciting new service will run from 3.00 am right up to 11.30 pm seven days a week – and will be exclusive to the Dedworth area.
Dedworth residents can book Go2Gate to travel between their home and Heathrow Terminal 5 on an easy-to-use app. and the mini buses might even pick up at their garden gate.
After the first week the single fare will be just £5 with discounts for groups and just £2 for those who work at Heathrow Airport on production of their ID.
Thames Valley Buses say all trips must be booked in advance on the app, which can be made as long as 28 days in advance or up to just 20 minutes before travel. This will be useful to passengers unsure of their arrival time into Heathrow
Go2Gate’s app will always tell the user where to wait and keep them up to date. And the bus can be tracked on the app up to 30 minutes before it arrives.
The new demand responsive service will run along many through roads in Dedworth so most people will be less than a two minute walk away from a pick-up point.
Go 2 Gate will be run by Thames Valley Buses with brand new 12-seater minibuses that have air conditioning and leather seats with seatbelts.
Said Thames Valley Buses General Manager Simon Fisher: “Heathrow tendered for this new connection and although we had the option of submitting a traditional service, they opted for our flexible service submission.
“We have partnered with Padam, a leading tech company in this field and a subsidiary of Siemens, to host our app and booking.
“We are hoping for at least 20,000 journeys in the first year and there has been a lot of interest in the service. Whether people are flying off somewhere or work at the airport we are making it so much easier to get between Dedworth and Heathrow and home again any day of the week at times that suit.
“Go2Gate is a minibus exclusive to the Dedworth area that is more like your own personal taxi and although many people jetting away will travel only occasionally we hope the people working at the airport will see this as a real benefit.”
Said Matthew Wooll, Route Development Head for Surface Access at Heathrow: “This new Go2Gate service is a fantastic addition to Heathrow’s public transport network.
“We want all of Heathrow’s passengers and colleagues to have access to good public transport at the times they need it. Travelling more sustainably will help reduce congestion and emissions, and Go2Gate will also help keep the cost of travelling down.
“This will be achieved through some great value tickets, including discounts for passengers travelling together and also if you work at the airport.”
He added: Heathrow is a great transport hub for connecting with many trains and the Tube to central London as well as the many bus and coach services to destinations all over the UK.”