ON-demand transport in Lake Macquarie will double its footprint to include Charlestown.
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Keolis Downer confirmed the move on Monday, extending the network from a 25-square-kilometre footprint to cover 56 square kilometres.
It now takes in Charlestown, Dudley, Whitebridge, Gateshead, Redhead, Warners Bay, Mount Hutton, Windale, Tingira Heights, Eleebana, Croudace Bay, Valentine, Belmont North and Belmont.
The Newcastle Herald reported in March that Transport for NSW had mooted expansion of the service.
Keolis Downer chief executive David Franks said the on-demand service complements the broader timetabled network.
"Over 68% of customer trips cannot be taken by a regular route service," he said.
"These flexible, non-regular routes encourage the use of public transport by providing mobility options for all, in areas where daily demand is variable."
Keolis Downer said the patronage had grown an average of 12 per cent month-on-month on the service, with 3000 trips taken in May.
The 20-seated vehicles are smaller to access backstreets but remain fully accessible.