Community Transport Calderdale’s Peter Hancock was a very welcome visitor to our November 2022 Open Meeting.
He explained the various services offered by Community Transport Calderdale (CTC) and fielded questions from our members.
Now over 20 years old, the organisation has two main services:
- 1/ three wheelchair accessible buses that are in use almost every day of the year taking people to and from hospital appointments.
- 2/ thirty-seven drivers who take the organisation’s 1,000 plus clients on trips they might otherwise use taxis for. Their drivers are volunteers, who receive payment for their fuel and costs.
It’s this second service that Peter concentrated on. The organisation’s clients pay an annual fee of £5, a bit like a “membership” fee. They are encouraged to book their journeys around a week ahead. Where this service rally differs from a traditional taxi is that the driver will wait at your destination until you want to come home. Typically, clients use the service for shopping, GP visits and a range of other local trips that might otherwise have required a taxi, so there’s no need to book a second “taxi” home – your driver will be outside waiting for you throughout your visit.
The client is charged 50p per mile (to and from the driver’s address), though clients are, wherever possible, matched with local drivers. This works out as considerably cheaper than traditional taxis.
Please contact CTC on 01422 888 080 to find out more and to book your first trip. CTC operates throughout Calderdale.
They also run day trips for small groups of people.
Several Disability Partnership Members present at the meeting already use CTC. They were united in their praise of the service offered.
