I know how important it is to improve public transport connections across rural East Cleveland. This is an issue I have discussed extensively with Arriva and I was personally disappointed by their recent decision relating to changes to the 5/5A service east of Skelton.
I am therefore very excited at the news of Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen's imaginative and ambitious proposals for an 'Uber-style' demand-responsive approach to public transport for rural parts of the Tees Valley.
This new system will allow passengers to 'order' a vehicle to their chosen pick up point and you can even reserve a seat and track the vehicle's progress through a mobile app.
I look forward to hearing more details following the Tees Valley Combined Authority cabinet meeting a week on Friday! And as always, I'd really welcome your thoughts.
For now, you can read about the proposals here.