WILTSHIRE Council’s travel information service Connecting Wiltshire is celebrating its first birthday.

The website has proved a hit with communities across the county as travellers continue to enjoy service improvements following Wiltshire Council’s successful bid for £4 million funding from the Department of Transport.

An average of 4,000 people are logging onto the site every month, attracted by the interactive journey planner which allows people to plot a route whether they are walking, cycling, driving or using the bus or train.

Features include journey time and distance and even calories burnt and C02 emissions.

The planner now includes a recentlyimproved option showing how people can cycle or drive to a railway station as part of a trip.

Connecting Wiltshire website also includes updates on bus delays and fares using the latest information from the county’s bus companies.

The website was launched following the successful bid to the Department of Transport as part of a package of measures to introduce the new TransWilts rail service. New bus maps have been printed for Melksham, Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Chippenham with a booklet for Malmesbury and a map for Salisbury Park and Ride following later this year.

An online bus map for the whole county will be launched as part of the Connecting Wiltshire website shortly.

A network of travel advisors are going out to residential areas, businesses and schools offering people tailored travel advice, information and incentives as well as helping to promote the new service.