The on-demand minibus stays for another 12 months: 5,504 journeys from April to October, up 19% on last year. How to book, what it costs, and where it goes.

IndieGo Plus, the book-ahead minibus that serves villages across Stratford district, will keep running for at least another year. The district council has extended its contract with Warwickshire County Council for 12 months. Use of the service is rising: 5,504 journeys were completed between April and October 2026, up from 4,636 in the same months of 2025.

That is 868 more journeys, a rise of 19%. The figures come from the county council and are quoted in the district council’s notice of decision, published on 26 October.

Bar chart of completed IndieGo Plus journeys in Stratford district: 4,636 from April to October 2025 and 5,504 from April to October 2026, a rise of 868 or 19 per cent.
Completed journeys, April to October. Chart by Stratford Avon News.
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What the council decided

The county council runs IndieGo Plus with the transport technology company Liftango. The district council pays the county £120,000 a year for extra capacity, so that the service runs at close to the level of UBUS, the dial-a-ride it replaced in November 2024.

The decision, taken by the council’s Head of Housing, Revenues and Customer Services, extends that contract for a further 12 months, “subject to continued performance measures”. The contract allows up to three such extensions, to a maximum of five years. Cabinet agreed in October 2025 to keep funding it until the current budget runs out in 2028/29.

The county and Liftango have been trying to get more people on board. They have trialled set routes on certain days for popular journeys, and grouped passengers travelling the same way. The council says that is how UBUS built up its numbers.

How IndieGo Plus works

The details below are from the county council’s IndieGo Plus page:

  • Hours: 9.30am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. There is no service on most bank holidays.
  • Fares: from £3 for a single trip, with discounts for children. Concessionary bus passes are valid, but must be checked on board every time.
  • Where it goes: anywhere in the district to and from Stratford-upon-Avon. Trips from the Southam area can only go to Leamington Spa or within the Southam area.
  • Booking: on the free IndieGo Plus app, any time, or by phone on 01926 742000, 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays. Book from two weeks ahead up to one hour before you travel.
  • Sharing: it is a rideshare, so you will usually travel with other passengers going the same way, and you may need a short walk to the pick-up point.
  • Accessibility: the buses have ramps and wheelchair spaces, which you book with the trip. Assistance dogs are welcome.

If you have an appointment, use the “arrive by” option when booking. With “leave by”, your pick-up time can move by a few minutes to fit in other passengers. Cancel more than 30 minutes before pick-up for a full refund; later than that, the fare is not refunded.

What it means for you

If you live in a village without a regular bus, IndieGo Plus is the service the council is paying to keep. It is not a taxi: seats are first come, first served, and the county asks people to use an ordinary bus where one runs. Booking early gives you the best chance of the time you want.

For trains out of town, see our page on Stratford train times to London, and for this week’s closures, our roadworks and travel page.