Frequently Asked Questions for your go-too service

Demand Responsive Transport is a form of shared public transport which has no set timetable but runs on routes tailored to the needs of passengers, picking up and dropping off according to passengers’ requested journeys. It is a more flexible and environmentally friendly way to travel as it responds directly to specific journeys requested by passengers, rather than following a set route where journeys are limited to start and end at defined points and times.

The government is keen for local authorities to pilot innovative and flexible transport services in rural areas as an alternative to regular fixed route bus services. Cheshire East Council has been allocated funding by the Department for Transport to implement a DRT scheme in the south-west area around Nantwich and is working with its wholly owned company Ansa Environmental Services (Ansa Transport) to deliver the service, known as ‘go-too’.

The service is aimed at helping people access employment, further education, healthcare appointments and other essential services such as shops, as well as social opportunities within more rural areas. It is ideal for those who may not have access to a car and struggle to meet their travel needs with traditional public transport routes which may not be suitable or serve rural communities adequately. Visitors travelling in the operational area can also use go-too to make their journeys.

The operational area for go-too is shown on the map below. It serves the south-west area of Nantwich.

You can travel…

• anywhere within the dark green zone
• from the dark green zone to the light green zone
• from the light green zone to the dark green zone

As go-too is a rural transport initiative, you cannot travel within the light green zone only, but there are other bus services available to you in this area.

go-too will operate from 7am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday (excluding bank holidays), giving greater flexibility and meeting multiple travel needs within this rural area.

We do require some information in order to fulfil any journeys you wish to make. Before booking the service, you will be required to create an account either through the app or by calling the booking line. Information on how your data will be stored can be found in our Privacy Policy.

It’s a bit like booking a taxi, but you will share your transport with others, just as you would share a bus. The go-too service takes you to your destination from your nearest fixed or virtual bus stop. Journeys can be booked through the go-too app or you can call the booking line on 0300 123 5103. The booking line is open between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and standard call charges apply.

If you are using the go-too app, journeys can be booked up to 14 days in advance or even ‘on demand’ at the time you want to travel. If you are making a booking by phone, you can still book up to 14 days in advance, but for short notice bookings you will need to call us before 5pm the day before you want to travel e.g. by 5pm Friday if you would like to travel on Saturday or by 5pm Monday if you would like to travel on Tuesday.The booking/helpline will be closed weekends and on bank holidays.

• go-too operates on a flat fare basis:
• £3 per journey (age 16+)
• £2 per journey (under 16s)

• £1.50 per journey (Monday to Friday before 9:30)
• Free of charge (Monday to Friday after 9:30 and Saturdays)
•  

A booking can only have a single pick-up and drop-off point. If other passengers are wanting to be picked up at a different location, they are welcome to set-up their own account with go-too.

You can add additional passengers by calling us on 0300 123 5103 at least 1-hour before your journey. Sadly we cannot allow additional passengers on board the bus if they have not been added to your booking in advance.

Young people aged 11 or over (who do not need to be accompanied by an adult) can book for anyone else also aged 11 or over. A valid debit/credit card must be used.

There is no minimum age limit for using go-too although children under the age of 11 must be accompanied by an adult when travelling and all journeys must be booked with a valid debit/credit card.

Whilst the go-too App is very easy to use, we are more than happy to create an account and take your bookings over the phone Monday-Friday 0900-1700 on 0300 123 5103.

Unfortunately not. The go-too service only operates within the area shown on the map.

From 03 May 2022 no shows will be charged at the full fare rate.

The service provided by go-too is unique as the bus makes a specific journey to collect passengers from their chosen pick-up location. Consequently, when passengers do not show up for a booking, this has a negative effect on time, fuel costs and can prevent the bus from being available to other passengers.

In order to minimise these effects, we are taking the necessary step of introducing a ‘no show’ charge. From 03 May 2022, the standard fare will automatically be charged where passengers miss or do not show up for their pre-booked journey. If a booked journey is no longer required, we ask passengers to cancel with as much notice as possible to avoid the bus making any unnecessary journeys.

If you become aware of any reason you may be late to meet your bus or encounter any problems with your booking, please contact us as soon as possible and we will endeavour to re-book your trip subject to availability. You can contact us on our helpline on 0300 123 5103 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, or by replying to any automated text message you receive from us (outside of these hours) and an agent on duty will respond.

go-too is being introduced as a new transport initiative and will be a cash-less service. All journeys must be paid for in advance either through the go-too app or by calling the booking line. This ensures that go-too continues to operate efficiently and journey times are unaffected by delays when boarding.

Call our booking agent on 0300 123 5103 for a unique reference number and details of how to set your payments up with our trusted third party provider Twilio. Once this is set up, you can simply call to book all journeys and your fares will be automatically processed when your journey begins. This keeps your information safe and you will never need to share your personal banking details with us.

If you are using the app, you can manage payment card changes in the app itself. If you are booking by phone you will need to call us so that we can refer you to our payment partner Twilio to securely register your new card using their automated system. Your payment method will then be stored in our system for use.

Concessionary bus pass holders can travel free on go-too after 09:30 on weekdays and all day on Saturdays. If you travel before 09:30 on weekdays, you'll be charged half the full adult fare.

go-too is powered by scheduling software which takes into account all booked journeys to calculate passenger journey times. When booking your journey, you will be informed of your arrival time window and if you are happy with this, the booking will be confirmed.

You have the option of requesting a journey for a specific arrival time and provided this can be accommodated for the day/time needed, the system won’t accept any additional journeys that could compromise your arrival time. When making your booking, ensure you use the 'arrive by' option when selecting your journey time rather than 'depart at'.

There is no minimum age limit for using go-too although children under the age of 11 must be accompanied by an adult when travelling and all journeys must be booked with a valid debit/credit card.

If you are travelling as a family or group, journeys must be booked at the same time and the maximum group size per booking is 8 passengers. You can add additional passengers to your booking when using the app by tapping the + symbol above the location pin before choosing your pick-up point – this will expand a menu where you can select the number of additional passengers and whether they are adults, children or concessionary pass holders. If you book over the phone simply let us know on the call how many will be travelling in total and their fare status so that we can add the additional passengers to your booking accurately.

go-too vehicles can accommodate a passenger in a wheelchair, but due to recent changes in our bus fleet, we now require a wheelchair assessment to ensure safety and compliance. To arrange this, please call the go-too booking line on 0300 123 5103 to schedule a wheelchair assessment. Once your wheelchair has been approved, you will be able to use the service. Additionally, ensure that the wheelchair accessibility requirements are enabled when you create your account on the app or via the booking line. This will allow space on board to be allocated to you automatically when you book.

go-too will try to accommodate your request but it may not always be possible to do so as it will depend on demand and what other bookings we have already processed at the time you would like to travel. When booking either through the app or by phone, alternative travel times will be offered to you based on availability.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change your journey or destination once you have already boarded the bus, as other bookings will have been accepted around the availability of your original journey.

Subject to availability there is no reason you cannot travel from one end of the defined area to the other. There is no limit on journey distance other than the availability of the service when requested. If you anticipate you will require a longer journey, we advise booking this in advance as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Yes! go-too is available to take you to any destination you like and for any purpose providing it is within the operating area and hours.

go-too will collect you from your nearest physical bus stop, or in cases where this is some distance away, a number of ‘virtual stops’ are included within the operating area. You will be able to see your nearest stop when viewing in the app or this will be confirmed with you if booking by phone. Please make sure you look out for alerts on the vehicle arrival time as the bus can only wait briefly before setting off to pick up the next passenger.

When using the app, you will have the option to set pick up points and destinations as ‘favourites’ to make the booking process even simpler.

The app is the easiest and most flexible way to use the go-too service as it is available at all times, however you are welcome to call our booking line on 0300 123 5103 Monday-Friday between 9am and 5pm and we can process your booking for you over the phone.

We only ask for information that is needed to fulfil your journey and all information is stored securely. For details on how we store and handle your data, please see our Privacy Policy.

Only assistance dogs or assistance dogs in training are permitted to travel on go-too, and any such dogs must be clearly identified as service animals via a clearly marked harness or lead. These include:

• Guide dogs for the blind, including a guide dog in training with a registered puppy walker who has their ID card
• Hearing dogs for deaf people
• Disabled support dogs
• Canine partners for independence

A folding bicycle may be brought on board but must fit inside the storage area, however, storage is limited and we cannot guarantee that there will be availability on your journey.

A folding pushchair may be brought on board but must fit inside the storage area, however, storage is limited and we cannot guarantee that there will be availability on your journey.

If you leave any belongings on the bus, please contact us as soon as possible by emailing support@go-too.co.uk or by calling us on 0300 123 5103.