New "demand responsive transport" will just be to take people from their local bus stop to mainline transport and is not a "substitute for getting a taxi," the Metro Mayor has said.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about how the new scheme will work, West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris also confirmed that the £2 fare, old persons bus passes, and concessionary discounts would all be recognised on the new minibuses.

Earlier this month, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council Kevin Guy asked for "urgent reassurance" from the Mayor on the details of the scheme — which is set to launch in April.

He said: "I am concerned that the clock is ticking, especially given the need to secure vehicles, recruit drivers and make people aware of the scheme — all in a matter of weeks."

But Mr Norris has said that the scheme, which is planned to cover large rural parts of the West of England as well as some more isolated parts of Bristol, will not be up and running everywhere from day one.

He said: "Some of this will start to roll out from April but it won't be fully right across the West of England from the outset."

He added: "They will have to stagger it until they get enough drivers."

When the system is in place, people in certain isolated areas of the West of England will be able to book a new "West Link" branded minibus to take them from their local bus stop to a more mainline bus stop or train station.

Mr Norris said: "There's an assumption that you are going to be going to your nearest mainline transport connection. It's not a substitute for getting a taxi."

He added that he was looking at the best practice from these schemes had worked in other parts of the country but said: "We don't expect this to be a perfect solution from the outset."

People will be able to book the minibuses "online by an app or by old fashioned telephone."

The areas of the West of England where the scheme is being rolled out will be divided into zones which the minibuses will operate in, with people able to get one to whichever mainline transport routes pass through their zone.

Mr Norris added that the West of England's £58m bus service improvement plan (BSIP) funding from the government which is paying for the scheme will also be put towards improving these mainline routes, including putting new bus services on with the aim of getting the wait between buses down to 15 minutes.

Current routes set to be "enhanced" are those serviced by bus numbers: 1, 5, 345, X39, and 379.

He added that there were proposed routes "people will be hearing about soon."

One new route that has been confirmed is the 522, one of five "vital spinal links" that Bath and North East Somerset Council asked the Mayor to put on. It will connect Bath and Bristol via Midsomer Norton — and serve several villages in North East Somerset which are due to lose their bus connections.

With spread out villages connected by infrequent buses, North East Somerset is one of the isolated areas where a demand responsive transport zone is planned.

But on hearing that the new mnibuses would cover North East Somerset but not Bath and amid inflation in the public transport section, Bath and North East Somerset Council cut their funding for all of 19 council-supported bus routes in rural North East Somerset.

Mr Norris criticised the move by the council and has insisted that the new system cannot replace these buses.

He said: "People must understand that this is not going to deal in any way with the subsidised buses that have been cut by the council. We don't have the capacity in these buses. They are there to take people to main routes."

He insisted that the new West Link minibuses were not "in any way a substitute for what's been on before."

But although the scheme is not meant to be a replacement for these buses, for many people living in North East Somerset, West Link may be their only option for getting around.

14 of the current supported buses will stop running in April, with 5 continuing until June.

After that, people living in North East Somerset will have to rely on the commercial routes that mainly go along main roads in the area, the new 522 bus, and on the West Link minibuses.

Mr Norris has insisted the BSIP money cannot be used to fund the cut supported services — although he says he has repeatedly asked the government — as it is specifically for "new and innovative" bus schemes such as demand responsive transport.

But he added: "What we are doing is new and innovative but what we have to do is start somewhere."