The service is operated by charity Rideability Blackpool, and is funded by the Countryside Agency and Lancashire County Council.

The service is open to people of all ages who have difficulty in using conventional bus services. Users register free of charge with Rideability Blackpool and are then able to book journeys by simply calling the Rideability control centre the day before they want to travel.

The service can be used to travel anywhere within the Kirkham area, including the main towns of Lytham and St Annes, and to connect with train services at any of Fylde's five railway stations.

Fares have been set to be comparable with those used on other bus services, and the Kirkham Link operates five days a week between 0900 and 1630.

The vehicle is a new Plaxton Pronto on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis with Sprintshift automated transmission. The Pronto was specified with 14 seats rather than the standard 16, and these are mounted on tracking with a quick-release mechanism. Wheelchair passengers board using a lift at the rear of the bus, and it can be configured to accommodate a maximum of six wheelchairs, with just two conventional seats, or various other combinations of seated and wheelchair passengers.

Tony Moreton, Lancashire County Council's head of bus service procurement, says: "The County Council has a proud history of creating innovative bus services like the Kirkham Link. Our aim with this kind of service is to fill gaps in public transport provision which meant in the past that people were either stranded or had to rely on cars to get out and about."

The coachbuilt Pronto is 2.2m wide and has a welded stainless-steel frame for a long trouble-free life.