Pingo DRT

Service Updates - May 2024 

After two years of piloting the innovative Digital Demand Responsive PINGO Service in Berwickshire, we will be making alterations to the service from Monday 20 May 2024.

The current contract with Borders Buses is set to expire on 19 May after which Teviot Taxi will operate a new Berwickshire DRT taxi bus service in the Berwickshire locality.

Details of new Teviot Taxi service 

A new demand responsive transport Taxi Bus service for Berwickshire will commence from the 20th of May 2024, replacing the previous PINGO DRT service. 

Operating 7 days per week across a designated area, the service is aimed at improving access to the existing fixed route bus network for residents who stay in more rural areas of the locality. The operating area has been defined using data gathered from the previous PINGO pilot, by identifying the rural areas that had high demand for travel, out with the fixed route bus network.

Service Area

The service area will cover the following areas operating within the boundary defined on the map below.

• Westruther,
• Longformacus,
• Duns,
• Preston,
• Marygold,
• Auchencrow,
• Reston,
• Ayton,
• Chirnside,
• Allanton,

The new service will be operated by Teviot Taxi using a smaller 8 seat vehicle and to make it more sustainable in the long term, it will be combined with existing school transport contracts to maximise the efficient use of vehicles throughout the day.

The new service is being delivered in parallel with improvements to the 60, 67 and 34 services, to increase accessibility throughout the Berwickshire locality for residents.

Operation times and fares 

The Berwickshire Taxi Bus Service will operate the following hours.

• Monday to Thursday 10:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 21:00, 
• Friday 10:00 – 11:45 then 14:00 – 21:00. 
• Saturday and Sunday 08:00 – 21:00, 

Fares are priced as below: 

• Adult Single £3.00
• Adult Return £5.40
• Child Single £1.50
• Child Return £2.70

Scottish Concessionary travel scheme cards and under 22 free travel scheme cards will be valid for travel.

How to book the new service 

The new Berwickshire taxi bus service will revert to booking by phone and can be booked by calling 07709 171506 any time up to 16:00 on the day before travel.

A small number of journeys may be accommodated by calling on the day of travel provided they fit with the drivers schedule for that day, these journeys must be booked up to 1 hour before travel. Journeys will no longer be able to be booked by using the Ride Pingo App.

The service can only be booked where there are no alternative means of travel, if a journey can be made by an existing bus route, priority will be given to the fixed route bus network, the service will not operate in competition with existing bus routes.