Booking a Journey
When can I Travel?
Ring & Ride services are available from 8am to 11pm daily (except Christmas Day) throughout all the urban parts of the West Midlands.
Please note that first and last journeys have to take into account the time it takes for vehicles to travel from or to the depot.
Did you know that you can now book one of our vehicles to go much further out of the West Midlands for a small charge. If you and a group of friends wish to make use of this facility then please call 0121 446 6172 where a member of staff will give you all the details.
When and How to Book?
When you want to make a booking you ring the Booking line telephone number between the times you are given when you register.
When you telephone the Booking Line you go straight through to the scheduler who deals with the vehicles which run in your local area. Tell the scheduler your registration number, where you want to go and when. If they are able to accommodate your request they will confirm it there and then. However if one or more parts of your journey cannot be provided at the time requested then the scheduler will offer you alternative times.
If the Booking Line is engaged, then replace the handset and re-dial immediately. Most telephones are fitted with re-dial buttons to make this easier. Even if you do not get through first time, you should get a reply after a few attempts. Trips can be booked for travel in the area within which you are registered plus half a mile into an adjoining Ring and Ride Area.
Many Passengers do not require a return trip because they might be able to get a lift from a friend or relative in one direction. Therefore if both legs of the journey cannot be provided the Scheduler may offer you either the outward or the return part of the trip.
If your request cannot be met and there are no satisfactory alternative times available, the scheduler will make a note of the journey details. Then, if later cancellations from other Passengers mean that your request can be met, they will contact you to let you know that a trip is available.
If you wish to book a trip the day before or the day of travel, you may have to ring a different number and at a different time. Please refer to the inside of the front cover of your Passenger Handbook for details. The schedules will be examined and you will be told whether your request can be fitted in with trips already booked.
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How To Book If You Do Not Have Access To A Telephone
If you do not have access to a telephone then special arrangements exist to allow postal bookings - the necessary forms can be obtained by contacting your local office.
If you have a hearing problem and cannot use the booking lines, then contact us on our Minicom (0121 359 0593) and we will advise you on how to make bookings.
Being Flexible
Because of demand for trips, the more flexible you are with your times of travel, the greater your chances of success in booking a journey.
If you are not concerned about an exact travel time then why not give the scheduler your journey details and ask when they can best accommodate you - that will help us cater for more people.
Cancelling a Trip
If you have to cancel a trip - bear in mind that the more notice of cancellation you give, the more likely that we will be able to offer someone else a journey. Please contact your local depot to inform them of the cancellation.
Due to unforeseeable road conditions, the actual pick up times can vary from the time given by the scheduler by 10 minutes either way, so you will need to be ready for the bus during that time.
Using Advanced Booking Forms (A.B.F's)
The Advanced Booking Facility (ABF), is aimed at enabling passengers to make a limit of bookings in advance of the normal 2 day notice period, for special events or important appointments where they want to guarantee their journey.
The current system seperates ABF journeys into local and Cross Boundary destinations and the number which can be booked into 6 month blocks.
From 1st July 2010, this will be simplified to enable 12 ABF journeys to be booked at any time and to any destination in the West Midlands (subject to availability) during a calender year (January to December). This will be helpful if you have to attend a monthly meeting and want to ensure that you get there, or you might need to use them all over a shorter period.
To use this facility, you will find booking forms enclosed with the 6 monthly Newsletter. Please ensure that you provide as much notice as possible when making your Advanced Booking.
If you are unable to, or have problems completing the form, contact your local Ring and Ride depot who will be able to help you with this. They will also be able to give you more information and advice about this facility.
Click to download form below.
Please complete the form and post to your local depot.
Click here for address details.
Booking Journeys to Popular Destinations
In all our areas we run special services which have separate booking arrangements which will be described in the information pack you receive when your register. These are regular trips to popular destinations (shopping centres, clubs etc) which pick up Passengers from particular areas before going to their destinations for set times. For further details contact your enquiry line number. You can book a Journey over Bank Holidays because, unlike commercial bus and train companies, Ring and Ride runs on every day of the year except Christmas Day. For most Bank Holidays, the normal Booking arrangements apply, but over the Christmas and New Year period, there are special arrangements and notices appear on vehicles in good time to let you know what is happening and when you should book trips. The BT recall facility (where you press 5 to recall a busy number) is not available on any of our booking lines.