RESIDENTS of Tadpole Garden Village from today will benefit from the opening of a brand new bus route leading directly into the centre of Swindon.

After close collaboration between Tadpole developers Crest Nicholson and bus company Stagecoach West, the new route, service 4, will run every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday from 7am until 7pm.

Stagecoach is even offering free travel from today until Saturday, November 12 to celebrate the launch of the new route.

Rupert Cox, managing director of Stagecoach West, said: “As part of our long term partnership with Crest Nicholson, we believe we can encourage as many people as possible to use this bus service.

“The journey is quick, straight into the heart of Swindon and is completely free for the first week. You don’t need any cash or a travel card, just hop on.

“In the long term, it is more sustainable and better for the environment because it means fewer people will be using their cars.

“We have had a great response so far and I’m sure the service will be of great benefit to local people.”

A bus will run every half hour and Stagecoach will monitor it closely with the consideration of adding more buses at more frequent times if needed.

They are also happy to hear feedback from residents in a bid to make the service more conducive to their needs.

Andrew Dobson, development director at Crest Nicholson, said: “This is all part of our plan to build up the community in line with our long-term development ambitions.

“We are really proud that this bus service has been able to launch two years earlier than originally planned.

“It will take passengers directly into Swindon town centre just in time to begin their Christmas shopping.

“It is indicative of the sort of thing we are trying to achieve here and it is great to see schools and businesses being developed well ahead of schedule.

“We have been working closely with Stagecoach in a bid to ensure this bus service will be a huge success.”

Commuters can download to their smart phones a Stagecoach app which will allow them to check timetables and plan routes. It is thought that tickets will soon be able to be purchased from it.

For more information, or a more detailed timetable, log on to www.stagecoachbus.com.