Go North Devon Ring & Ride Service rescued from closure

You will remember the sad news announced on May 30, 2023, from Go North Devon Ltd that unfortunately they could not continue as it was no longer viable on an ongoing basis, resulting in the difficult decision to dissolve the organisation.

Their final services will be on August 18, 2023, and the organisation will close completely at the end of September 2023.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. In the announcement Go North Devon mentioned there were discussions taking place with another organisation to see if they could step-in and continue to keep the North Devon Ring and Ride Service in operation.

The Ring and Ride Service is a vital door-to-door accessible Minibus service, which provide routes in and around the Barnstaple area, taking people shopping, accessing local amenities and social days out.

There are many older, disabled people that use this service and it is still in high demand so it would have been extremely unfortunate if this service could not continue.

The North Devon Gazette is pleased to report that the discussions had a positive outcome and a neighbouring Community Transport Charity, Mid Devon Mobility, have agreed to step in and run the North Devon Ring and Ride Service.

It is their intention to cause as little disruption to the service as possible and to continue to run it in much the same way. The telephone number will remain the same, as will the fare charges and routes of the service.

Mid Devon Mobility have been in existence for over 34 years and already run two Ring and Ride Services (amongst other services), in the Mid Devon area, which is why Go North Devon thought they would be a good organisation to step in and use their expertise to keep the North Devon Service running.

Faye Ashton, Chief Executive Office of Mid Devon Mobility said: “We are very aware of how vitally important the Ring and Ride Service is to the people it serves, as without it many older and disabled people would be unable to leave their house and access local shops and facilities. Many of our customers regularly tell us how the Ring and Ride and The Day Trip Club is their only means of getting out and about and the social aspect is extremely important to them. We wanted the benefits of this service to continue for the residents of North Devon and we look forward to being able to provide it.”

Mid Devon Mobility are looking forward to commencing their commitment to the North Devon Ring and Ride Service from August 21, 2023.

David Netherway, Chairman of Go North Devon said: "Whilst we were all very disappointed to have had to make a difficult decision to close the very long established services to our loyal clients, we know they will be in good hands with the new provider, and the Ring and Ride and social trips service will be continuing without a break."

Recognising the significance of the Ring and Ride service and it’s impact on the lives of many residents, North Devon Council, Barnstaple Town Council and Devon County Council have shown their support by providing a financial contribution to Mid Devon Mobility. This support will empower Mid Devon Mobility to deliver and enhance the much-needed and highly-appreciated transportation service across the North Devon region.

If you would like any more information about the North Devon Ring and Ride Service please call 01271 328866.

Thank You to Mid Devon Mobility for saving the Ring and Ride Service and continuing to provide this much needed and valuable service to the older, disabled and isolated people of North Devon.