Untitled

What is community transport (CT)?
The problem: social exclusion
Social exclusion is recognised today as a major problem by both local and central government
across the UK. Access, mobility and transport are key factors in excluding people from social
interaction and vital services.
An answer - CT
The first community transport organisations (CTs) were set up to solve problems caused by
social exclusion way back in the 1970s, years before the term was ever thought of.
CTs continue to combat social exclusion today. They do this mainly by providing safe, accessible and affordable transport solutions to their local community, that enable people to access work, training and social activities they might not otherwise be able to. Independent of private or public organisations
Non-profit making
Local community organisations
Community-owned and managed, by management committees elected by and from
There are CTs in nearly every part of the U.K. Locally-run and managed community transport operators have the skills, experience and desire to reach the parts of the community other transport providers cannot reach. • Flexible & Responsive to local needs • Able to develop more freely than statutory counterparts • Able to raise funds from a variety of sources What makes Community Transport special Community transport has always focused on innovative solutions to community needs – as local community-based organisations, CTs help to develop and sustain communities, combat social exclusion and promote economic regeneration. Transport, though a major element of the work, is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. Community transport is first and foremost about people and their needs, not transport. With CT, the passenger comes first; it’s tailored to the needs of the traveller, not the service. It’s community owned & accountable - CTs are owned by the local community and managed
by elected local people.
What does Community Transport actually do?
Individual organisations may differ in the services they offer and the way they operate, as each
will be set up to meet particular local needs.
Range of services
Here are some examples of the wide variety of services CTs can provide.
• Shared transport for a wide range of community groups, from under 5s groups to over • Individual door-to-door services for passengers who find it difficult or impossible to use mainstream transport. For example, Dial A Ride. Written by Anthony Travis, for Transport for Communities 2007 • Regular, timetabled bus services with volunteer drivers. • Services for the public, which adapt their itinerary and timetable to suit a particular transport demand. These use professional, paid drivers, operating minibuses or smaller vehicles such as people-carriers. • Door to door transport for individuals using volunteer drivers, either with their own CT- owned cars or people carriers, for passengers who cannot use public transport. • To nationally accredited MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) standards, for
drivers and passenger assistants. MiDAS driver assessor/trainers assess drivers to ensure their driving skills are of high standard and provides training on legal, safety and disability issues and on specialist equipment. Over 50,000 drivers have already been trained to the MiDAS standard. • Furniture recycling collection and redistribution of household goods. • Community recycling projects. Contracted services
As community enterprises, CTs are in an ideal position to provide community-based solutions to
the transport needs of statutory authorities and their clients. Examples include Passenger
Transport services delivered under contract to a local Council or Passenger Transport Authority.
• Door-to-door transport on demand for socially excluded people. For example, from an isolated housing estate to leisure, employment or shopping facilities. • For example, individual journeys to and from school for pupils with Special • Transport for groups of pupils to extra-curricular activities. • Two of the larger CTs in London now operate main routes for Transport for • CTs in various parts of the country provide non-emergency passenger transport under contract to health authorities and trusts. • Door-to door transport for elderly or disabled people to day centres, lunch Community benefit & added value
Provision of services by CT can bring an added value that private and statutory operators do
not. When a CT operates a contracted service, the resources (both vehicles and drivers) are
available for community use outside the core operating hours. So, for example, the smaller
single occupancy vehicles that may be used for Special Educational Needs transport could be
used to provide accessible door-to-door transport as part of an integrated DRT service.
In addition, any surpluses generated from the operation of contracts are applied directly to the
CT’s core activity of meeting the transport needs of the local community
Written by Anthony Travis, for Transport for Communities 2007

Source: http://www.transportforcommunities.co.uk/files/CT_explained.pdf