News: 20,000 board the Rotherham FreeBee in first month

20,000 passengers have used the free bus service between Rotherham town centre and Parkgate Shopping in the first month since it launched.

The "FreeBee" service which runs every 12 minutes between Parkgate and Rotherham Interchange was launched by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) at the end of October.

Transport chiefs originally forecast that the introduction of the service would lead to an increase in patronage in Rotherham by 9,000 per month by the end of the 2009/10 financial year.

Denis Copeland, manager of Parkgate Shopping said: "The success of FreeBee is fantastic news, as it gives our shoppers more choice and added convenience in this very busy period."

The service runs from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and buses run around the town centre from Rotherham Interchange via Rotherham Central Rail Station, the police station, Westgate, Canklow Road, the Town Hall, Wellgate, Clifton Park and the town centre markets, then returning to the Interchange before heading to Parkgate past St Ann's Leisure Complex, and back to the Interchange.

SYPTE website
Parkgate Shopping
Rotherham

Images: parkgateshopping.co.uk