The money has been awarded by the Rural Bus Challenge scheme and will fund the development of a series of innovative rural taxi schemes across the county.

Chitterne

Many villages and rural communities around Wiltshire lack suitable public transport and an innovative approach to filling the gaps with transport-on-demand aims to make the difference.

Three schemes will operate in the Wootton Bassett area (feeding into the town from surrounding villages), in the Chitterne area and parts of the Wylye Valley, and an evening service for villages surrounding Malmesbury (feeding into the town from the villages).

How will it work?

The taxi service will operate like a bus in some respects - with a fare and timetable structure, but able to respond to passenger demand within a given geographic area.

Passengers will be able to look at the timetable and see when taxis are available before booking their journey.

The use of a timetable ensures that passengers know a taxi will be available at certain times.

Taxi fares will be similar to bus fares for equivalent journeys.

Taxis will operate in set areas, and passengers will share with other people wanting to travel from that area.

The taxis will link to bus and other public transport services in the towns. In the Wootton Bassett area, the new taxi scheme will complement other community transport schemes operating locally.

Wootton Bassett

Ian White, passenger transport co-ordinator at Wiltshire County Council, said: "I am delighted that our bid to the Rural Bus Challenge has been successful.

"These taxi schemes will enable us to fill some of the gaps in provision left by traditional bus services and will provide flexible, demand responsive transport in rural parts of the county."