15 October 2025
Pompey Link – Georgia
Georgia, 34, lives in Paulsgrove and is a manager at Odeon cinema in Port Solent. She uses the Pompey Link service around four times a week to get to and from her shifts.
Pompey Link, run by Community First, is an on-demand transport service supporting the Paulsgrove and Port Solent areas of Portsmouth, with connections into Cosham interchange and QA Hospital. At launch Pompey Link was the first public transport option to serve Port Solent in nearly a decade. Passengers can book a trip through an easy-to-use app or by phone, and a minibus collects them from a nearby stop and drops them off to a bus stop near their destination.
Georgia has been using the service since shortly after it launched in May 2025. For her, it’s been a huge help. She said: “Before Pompey Link started, getting to work was really difficult. There’s no public transport that goes to Port Solent, and because I don’t drive, I had to walk or pay for taxis. Sometimes I was spending around £15 each way, which really added up – especially if I was doing a shorter shift. I could end up spending almost as much as I earned just getting there.”
Now, there’s a Pompey Link bus stop right outside Georgia’s house. “It’s so convenient. I just go on the app, book my trip, and the bus turns up when it says it will. I’ve never had any problems – no delays, no missed pick-ups. It’s always reliable.”
“There are about four regular drivers I see, and they’re all lovely. You get to know them after a while, and they make the journey really enjoyable. Sometimes it’s just me on the bus, but other times I’ll share the journey with colleagues from the Odeon, which is nice.”
Georgia heard about the service through a colleague when it first launched. Now she recommends it to others. “I tell my friends and family about it, and hand out leaflets at work.
“Sometimes customers worry about how they’ll get to a film on time, and I always tell them to give Pompey Link a go.”
Georgia says the service can not only help people like her get to work, but also connect people to their community. “It’s so important for people who don’t drive or who might not get out much. It helps people stay social and independent. Some think it’s just for older people, but it’s really for everyone. I want more people to realise that.”
Without Pompey Link, Georgia says she’d have to rely on taxis again, which would be a real strain financially. She now pays £2 per trip instead of £15-£20.
“It’s made such a difference. It’s affordable, easy, and it means I can get to work without worrying about the cost or the time. I don’t know what I’d do without it.”