Latest news with #ruralCommunities
BBC News
10-07-2025
- BBC News
Worcestershire on-demand bus service set to expand
An on-demand bus service is going to be expanded in a county, according to a council. Worcestershire County Council said the extension of services to large parts of Wychavon would start in August. The move follows rollouts in Bromsgrove and Malvern where the initiative was designed to connect passengers to their destinations without fixed routes or timetables. A council spokesperson said there were further plans to introduce the scheme to areas including Stourport, Hartlebury, Ombersley and surrounding central rural communities. All journeys will be free for the first month before fares switch to £2.50 per person per journey, with £1.25 for additional passengers, they on-demand service sees passengers book journeys through the Worcestershire on-demand app where they can choose their pick-up and drop-off points.A council spokesperson said journeys in Wychavon would be limited to a maximum of 15 km (nine miles) to "ensure smooth and efficient operations". Smaller vehicles will also be used for rural service will run from Monday to Saturday, from 07:00 to 19:00. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Globe and Mail
07-07-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Canada's emergency room crisis is worse than we thought
Ever since the pandemic, emergency-room closures have become more common in Canada, especially in rural communities. This can leave people in dangerous situations that can require them to drive an hour or more to access emergency medical care. When time is of the essence, emergency-room closures can be deadly. Because there's no centralized data on how common closures are across Canada, it's challenging to parse out how bad the problem is. As part of The Globe's Secret Canada series, health reporter Kelly Grant, investigative reporter Tu Thanh Ha and data editor Yang Sun analyzed data on emergency room closures across Canada. Kelly and Ha are on the show to talk about how widespread these closures really are, what it means for people living in those communities and what kinds of solutions are possible. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Amazon announces major prime membership change
Amazon is planning to expand its same-day and next-day delivery to over 4,000 small cities, towns, and rural communities in the US. Thousands of its 200+ million Prime members will have the pleasure of having this benefit by the end of the year. 'The money saving is important, but for many rural customers, the more critical dynamic is the time saved by using Amazon. The expanded choice that Amazon offers is also very appealing to shoppers who are miles away from big malls and stores,' GlobalData retail expert Neil Saunders told 'For Amazon, rural gains are an important part of driving Prime penetration. And the business is confident it can service this profitably by adapting existing rural delivery stations into hybrid hubs which store inventory Amazon's algorithms know will be popular in the area.' Shoppers interested in trying out the platform can do so for $14.99 a month or $139 a year. The project announcement comes after Amazon made the decision to expand its Prime Day sales event to four days from two. The company had already been the topic of conversation during the rise of inflation and fears of recession after CEO Andy Jassy warned shoppers tariffs potentially rising prices. While Amazon's net sales skyrocketed to $155.7 billion this quarter, the company has been slammed by its employees and Prime members. Shoppers claimed they would cancel their memberships last year after finding out the company was axing its Amazon Today service. Prior to its removal, it was a popular perk that provided same-day delivery from select stores in the customers' neighborhoods. Members also canceled accounts after finding out its streaming service started rolling out more advertisements across its TV shows and films. The company didn't stop there with its prime perk change-ups and infuriated customers even more by raising the price of its Amazon Music Unlimited ad-free subscription program. Besides its member benefit terminations, fans have begun turning their backs on Amazon after Jassy issued a warning of brutal workforce cuts. It is unclear when the layoffs will begin and how many jobs will be axed, but Jassy revealed the cuts were the result of the company's increase in artificial intelligence. The company is keeping itself busy by preparing for Prime Day, recently warning its members about increases in cyber scams It's also exploring the idea of creating its own currency, an idea that could save the company and retailers like Walmart and Target billions of dollars. Amazon is expecting to make between $159 billion and $164 billion during its second quarter, along with a $13 billion to $17.5 billion operating income. The company will release its second quarter results on July 31 after the market closes.
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Amazon making major change to Prime that will affect the whole of the US
Amazon is planning to expand its same-day and next-day delivery to over 4,000 small cities, towns, and rural communities in the US. Thousands of its 200+ million Prime members will have the pleasure of having this benefit by the end of the year. The plan comes after the company invested over $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026. Amazon is expanding the network to help customers who 'live farther from brick-and-mortar retailers, have fewer product and brand choices, and face limited delivery options when shopping online.' 'The money saving is important, but for many rural customers, the more critical dynamic is the time saved by using Amazon. The expanded choice that Amazon offers is also very appealing to shoppers who are miles away from big malls and stores,' GlobalData retail expert Neil Saunders told 'For Amazon, rural gains are an important part of driving Prime penetration. And the business is confident it can service this profitably by adapting existing rural delivery stations into hybrid hubs which store inventory Amazon's algorithms know will be popular in the area.' Shoppers interested in trying out the platform can do so for $14.99 a month or $139 a year. The project announcement comes after Amazon made the decision to expand its Prime Day sales event to four days from two. Prime Membership Prime provides a range of benefits on top of next and same day delivery and is available on a 30 day free trial. After the trial, membership costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. $139/year Shop The company had already been the topic of conversation during the rise of inflation and fears of recession after CEO Andy Jassy warned shoppers tariffs potentially rising prices. While Amazon's net sales skyrocketed to $155.7 billion this quarter, the company has been slammed by its employees and Prime members. Shoppers claimed they would cancel their memberships last year after finding out the company was axing its Amazon Today service. Prior to its removal, it was a popular perk that provided same-day delivery from select stores in the customers' neighborhoods. Members also canceled accounts after finding out its streaming service started rolling out more advertisements across its TV shows and films. The company didn't stop there with its prime perk change-ups and infuriated customers even more by raising the price of its Amazon Music Unlimited ad-free subscription program. Besides its member benefit terminations, fans have begun turning their backs on Amazon after Jassy issued a warning of brutal workforce cuts. It is unclear when the layoffs will begin and how many jobs will be axed, but Jassy revealed the cuts were the result of the company's increase in artificial intelligence. There are over 200 million active Amazon Prime members worldwide The company is keeping itself busy by preparing for Prime Day, recently warning its members about increases in cyber scams. It's also exploring the idea of creating its own currency, an idea that could save the company and retailers like Walmart and Target billions of dollars. Amazon is expecting to make between $159 billion and $164 billion during its second quarter, along with a $13 billion to $17.5 billion operating income. The company will release its second quarter results on July 31 after the market closes.
The Verge
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Amazon bringing same-day delivery to ‘millions' of rural customers
Amazon announced its intention to bring same-day and next-day delivery to 'tens of millions' of people who live in live in smaller towns by the end of 2026. Speedier deliveries will be available to residents 'in more than 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities,' the company said in a press release Tuesday. Items categorized as 'everyday essentials,' including groceries, beauty products, household goods, or pet food, will now be available to small town or rural customers for same-day or next-day delivery. If they are Prime subscribers (currently $14.99 a month or $139 annually), they get unlimited free same-day delivery when spending over $25 at checkout. Items categorized as 'everyday essentials' will now be available to small town or rural customers for same-day or next-day delivery. Amazon has already expanded its speedy delivery options to customers in over 1,000 small or rural communities, and people are buying these essential items at a higher rate than before. Amazon says over 90 percent of the top 50 items purchased for same-day delivery are 'everyday essentials items.' The company was able to accomplish this massive expansion by spending a lot of money — $4 billion, according to Amazon — on building new facilities and hiring new delivery drivers. Its also transforming existing delivery hubs in these smaller communities into hybrid facilities where Amazon packages can be prepped for final delivery. And the company is using machine learning to better predict what items each communities buys in large quantities, so it can make sure to have those items in stock for faster delivery. This includes 'the most-popular and frequently purchased items like wireless headphones, coffee pods, crackers, paper towels, and diapers, and products curated to fit local preferences like wild bird food in Dubuque, Iowa, travel backpacks in Findlay, Ohio, and after sun body butter in Sharptown, Maryland,' Amazon says. While many residents of small towns may delight in faster Amazon deliveries, local business owners may have a different reaction. Amazon has long been a threat to local Mom-and-Pop shops that struggle to compete with the convenience of online shopping, while also laboring under high rents and other costs of doing business. Amazon argues that it provides opportunities for small businesses to reach new customers, but critics claim that the company exploits its dominance in the economy to squeeze out local entrepreneurs.
