Following an expansion of the service, the West Midlands Ring and Ride door-to-door minibus service is now available to use in the evenings. Evening services have been re-introduced giving the 11,500 registered Ring and Ride customers the opportunity to travel until 11pm six nights a week.

The later hours have been matched with an increase in the numbers of vehicles available throughout the day as the service expands to meet growing demand for people to go out and about following the relaxation of Covid restrictions.

Ring and Ride is available to anybody who cannot, or finds it difficult, to use regular public transport services due to mobility issues or social isolation. It is operated by National Express Transport Solutions under contract from Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and can be used for visiting friends and family, a day or evening out, shopping or even going to and from work.

Tina Boothroyd, chair of support group Access in Dudley, said: "We are delighted and thrilled that Ring and Ride will resume its evening services. This will be hugely beneficial for disabled users and groups attending evening sessions and events. The positive impact on people's health and mental wellbeing will be significant."

The re-introduction of evening service follows the approval of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) annual budget which included £6.7 million funding towards the accessible transport service.