Dial-A-Ride service shortlisted for national award

Mary
Authored by Mary
Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2014 - 23:37

Plymouth’s Dial-A-Ride service has been shortlisted for a National Transport Award.

Led by Plymouth City Council and run in partnership with local transport charity Access Plymouth and Plymouth Citybus, the service has transformed travel opportunities for elderly and disabled residents.

The door-to-door, pre-bookable minibus service runs to any destination within the city, providing an affordable way to get to medical appointments, shopping and social visits. It offers a valued lifeline to residents by reducing social isolation and creating new friendships.

The scheme has been shortlisted under the ‘Transport Team/Partnership of the Year’ category and partners are unaware of any other project that brings together the public, private and charity sectors to meet the transport needs of residents in this way.

  • Access Plymouth has state-of-the-art scheduling software designed to create the most efficient pick-up runs, reducing fuel waste and journey times for customers.
  • The whole partnership worked on joint publicity and a distinctive livery to raise greater awareness of the service.
  • Plymouth Citybus sponsors the service and paid for the new livery on the five minibuses.

Since the Dial-A-Ride service went citywide in October there has been a 31 per cent increase in passengers.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “This is a true partnership project and I am delighted it has received the national recognition it deserves. We have worked together to find an innovative solution, in a tough financial climate, that meets the needs of some of Plymouth’s most vulnerable residents. We are up against some strong competition but whether we go on to win the award or not this is a fantastic endorsement.”

Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus Ltd said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners on this ground breaking initiative, which enables elderly and disabled passengers to access services across the city, where conventional buses cannot meet their needs. Recognition at this prestigious awards ceremony is testament to all the hard work from partners.”

Lesley Hargreaves, Manager of Access Plymouth, said: “Our clients struggle to use public transport and this door-to-door service helps them to retain their independence and get out and about in Plymouth. We have had a huge amount of positive feedback from service users, saying how the service has literally transformed their lives.”