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Operator Name: Accessible Community Travel Services ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY TRAVEL SERVICES
A.C.T.S.
143 Main Street, Newcastle, BT33 0AE
Phone: 028 4372 5734 – Fax: 028 4372 5997
Email: a.c.travel@btconnect.com
Emergency Contact: 07746032066
Business Plan 2006 – 2008
“Getting you there ….with care.”
Table of Contents
TITLE
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. ABOUT THE RURAL COMMUNITY
TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP
3. PLANNED ACTIVITIES
4. THE FUTURE
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ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY TRAVEL SERVICES (A.C.T.S.)
APRIL 2006 to MARCH 2008
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Accessible Community Travel Services (A.C.T.S.) provides affordable, accessible, demand led community transport for members living in the Newcastle and Castlewellan areas. Whilst the transport is available to all members of the ACTS Travel Club, emphasis is placed on providing suitable transport for older people, those who have disabilities and for people who live in isolated rural areas.
A.C.T.S. was inaugurated in 1998 to service the transport needs of older people and people with disabilities. Building on the success of this strategy the Transport Partnership now serves the needs of all members and member groups living in the electoral wards of Annalong, Shimna, Castlewellan, Murlough, Tollymore, Donard and Dundrum with concern for those who are isolated or who have inadequate access to public transport.
Transport is provided for ACTS members by (1) an accessible minibus service and (2) by a social car scheme using volunteer car drivers. The Transport Partnership has on lease from Translink a 12-seat minibus equipped with a lift for wheelchair users. In December 2003 an 8-seat people carrier with full accessibility was purchased through funding from the Rural Development Council; this funding will continue until December 2006. In March 2004, with funding from Down Health and Social Care Group, ACTS purchased a 16-seat minibus with full accessibility. As the demand for accessible transport has grown it has become necessary to broker minibuses from other organisations. Brokerage agreements are in place between Newcastle Inter-Church Community Projects Association, Age Concern N.I., Annalong Community Association and Disabled Christians Fellowship of Ireland. These brokerage agreements, whilst providing ACTS with room to grow, can never be considered permanent and thus ACTS must plan to add at least another vehicle to its operation in the near future if the growth is to be retained.
Ulsterbus engineers in the Newcastle depot maintain the leased Renault minibus to a high standard of efficiency and agreements for mechanical servicing and tyre maintenance are in place locally for the other two vehicles. A programme of daily, weekly and scheduled safety checks ensures all vehicles are road worthy and fit for their intended purpose.
All volunteer and paid drivers of ACTS minibuses are specially trained to MiDAS standards of driving skills and passenger care with a six monthly training review. Passenger Assistants are provided to travel on the bus for passengers with special needs and a special assisted shopping programme for members needing a one to one service has been introduced. As part of ongoing improvements, ACTS will introduce an accredited training programme for passenger assistants.
Each week ACTS takes members for shopping trips both locally and in city shopping centres and at the weekend to Church Services both in Newcastle and Castlewellan. Trips around tourist areas and visitor attractions are offered to members and member groups. ACTS has a 10-pin bowling club for members which travels in the afternoon to Dundonald Int. Ice Bowl every three weeks. An evening cinema club, to travel monthly, has been introduced and this will be followed by an evening swimming club to a nearby swimming pool. Other services, trips and tours will be considered and introduced where there is community and membership demand for them.
Community groups, clubs and non-profit organisations within ACTS operating area can hire any of the A.C.T.S. vehicles, with or without driver, but all drivers must have D1 entitlement on their driving licences and hold MiDAS certificates.
Age Concern is the leading partner in a network formed between independent voluntary, community and statutory groups to provide services for older people in Newcastle and district. The Executive Committee of Age Concern Network of Newcastle and District, is responsible for the overall operation of Accessible Community Travel Services and appoints a Travel Sub Committee to oversee the running of the project. The Age Concern Network manager has line management responsibilities for the staff of ACTS.
The Transport Partnership is managed by the Partnership Project Officer (P.P.O.) assisted by the Administration Officer, (A.O.) at the partnership’s office at 143 Main Street Newcastle, BT33 0AE. The PPO and AO are assisted from time to time by volunteers.
ACTS is a non-profit making organisation funded by the Rural Transport Fund (RTF), administered by the Department of Rural Development (DRD), and the Rural Development Council (RDC). All income from the operation of the services is retained within the project.
ACTS has also received financial support from other organisations including the DSD Shimna Ward Grant and Lloyds TSB and has received generous donations from members.
ACTS is a member of the Community Transport Association (CTA), which is a UK wide organisation representing the interests of the Community Transport Sector and providing support, training, advice and information.
ACTS, through its membership of the CTA, is a recognised training organisation for the minibus driving awareness scheme (MiDAS) and can train and assess drivers for other non-profit organisations as well as its own paid and voluntary drivers. ACTS is also a recognised trainer for PAT, an accredited passenger assistant training scheme.
2. ABOUT THE RURAL COMMUNITY TRANSPORT PARTNERSHIP
Membership
Membership of Accessible Community Travel Services (A.C.T.S. Travel Club) consists of the members of the Age Concern Network and ACTS individual and group members. Operational regulations require all individuals and groups seeking to use ACTS services to be members of the ACTS Travel Club. Above fourteen there is no age limit to membership and under fourteens travel on parent’s membership. Membership is renewed annually in January.
Membership of Age Concern Network includes statutory groups i.e. Down Lisburn Trust, N.I. Housing Executive, Down District Council, the N.I. Police Service, East Down Institute and Translink. It includes voluntary groups i.e. East Down Rural Community Network, Newcastle Inter-Church Community Projects, Chest Heart and Stroke Association, Arthritis Care, Slieve Donard Visually Impaired Group and St. Vincent De Paul Society.
Objectives
The objective of Accessible Community Travel Services is to provide affordable, accessibly local transport for:
• persons living in isolated rural areas
• persons with mobility problems
• persons with visual impairment
• persons requiring transport from door to door at specific times for specific events
and to also provide a means of escaping social exclusion and isolation especially for elderly people living alone.
In addition, the transport partnership can provide affordable, accessible transport for community groups, church groups and youth groups.
Transport for the above persons and groups requires the provider to have local knowledge of such services, to have a social concern and vision to initiate new services to meet revealed needs and to be based within the heart of the community. This knowledge can best be obtained by close contact with the local community groups and organisations, by questionnaires to member users of the services and by discussions with church and community leaders.
Accessible Community Travel Services recognises the need to provide transport with care for all its members and stringent safety precautions are in place along with ongoing risk assessments. ACTS is proud to have as its motto
“getting you there......with care”.
Staffing
To undertake the day-to-day management of the operation of ACTS, Age Concern Network includes on its Travel Committee, members who are representative of various areas and groups that can benefit from the services, as well as members with interest in rural development.
The Travel Committee meets every two months to monitor the progress of the Business Plan and to receive a report from the project officer.
The Partnership Project Officer (P.P.O.) assisted by the Administration Officer (A.O.) administers the operational business plan on a daily basis. As ACTS has grown it has become necessary to have administration assistance in the office and this can be either voluntary or casual paid persons. The PPO is in constant contact with the Travel Committee Chairman and ACNND manager regarding operational issues.
The ACTS officers are based in shop front premises on Newcastle Main Street, leased from 1st April 2002. This enables ACTS to be more accessible to the public and ensures a higher profile in publicity and marketing.
Operational Area
The operational area served by the Partnership coincides with the area covered by the Down Lisburn Trust’s Health and Social Services Newcastle patch which encompasses the wards of Donard, Shimna, Dundrum, Annalong, Murlough, Castlewellan and Tollymore. This extends from the coastal village of Annalong in the south, to the villages of Clough and Seaforde in the north, to the west lies the town of Castlewellan flanked by the villages of Kilcoo, Bryansford and Annsborough with Newcastle in the centre of the area. This area, whilst having a population of approximately 20,000, is geographically very rural with many isolated houses and numerous narrow roads not served at all or infrequently by public transport. There is also a higher density of elderly people in the area as it is a popular destination for retirement and for the building of fold type accommodation.
Understanding the Market
Newcastle has become established as a suitable retirement location and as a result attracts a large number of elderly and retired people. This added to the fact that locally and nationally the average age for the population is getting ever higher and people are living longer has meant that Newcastle has a disproportionate number of older people. Of the six patches within the Down Lisburn Trust this patch has the highest population of people over 65 years - (14%).
In a local survey of older people living in the Newcastle and Castlewellan areas carried out by Age Concern Network in 1998, bus services were highlighted as a concern and described as poor by 47.8% of those who lived in rural areas. The most frequently reported problems with bus services were:
• Difficulty getting to the bus stop. Many did not live near a bus route and subsequently the
distance they had to walk was too long.
• The lack of shelter waiting for a bus.
• The difficulty of boarding a bus as the step was too high.
• The lack of late transport home after an evening event.
It is because of this exceptionally high population of older people that the Partnership has seen the need to develop services specifically for them and to provide an affordable, accessible mode of travel to everyone who experiences social and geographical isolation in the area.
Since the completion of the survey some of the problems have been addressed by Translink and others. Better bus shelters are being provided both in towns and villages but also in the countryside. A start has been made in lowering steps to enable easier boarding of buses and some buses can now offer access for wheelchairs. Local town and rural services have been improved and a ‘Rural Rover’ flexing service has been introduced between Newcastle and Belfast providing door to door transport for some people living off the main road. Whilst all these improvements are to be welcomed, more remains to be done.
The Partnership is engaged in continuous consultation with the local Ulsterbus District Manager in the development of demand response transport and flexible routing as part of the partnership’s wider vision for accessible and effective rural transport throughout this area.
Current Position & Achievements
Currently the Partnership provides:
(1) Accessible minibus services, door to door for:
 Weekly shopping trips to local supermarkets
 Weekly assisted shopping trips to local supermarkets
 Weekly assisted shopping trips for wheelchair users
 Weekly transport to church services in Newcastle and Castlewellan
 Weekly shopping trips to city shopping centres
 Trips and tours to places of interest and scenic beauty
 10 Pin Bowling Club
 Cinema Club (to local cinemas)
 Social and health welfare transport
 Group transport to venues for concerts, shows and drama performances.
(2) Information and advice on transport solutions for individuals and groups which may include Translink services, transport offered by private operators and local taxi companies.
(3) A Social Car scheme for individuals whose transport needs are more effectively met on a one to one basis by volunteer car drivers.
(4) Group hire for member groups. This membership includes local schools, youth groups, community groups, church groups, women’s groups and residents associations.
With the increase of services and marketing of activities membership of the ACTS Travel Club has risen to almost 500 individual members and almost 60 group members.
ACTS employs two drivers on a permanent part-time basis and up to four other drivers on a casual basis. A team of MiDAS trained volunteer minibus drivers is maintained and these drivers form a valuable resource for the operation of ACTS services.
The statistics show that, while the number of minibuses has increased, minibus usage has also increased from an average of 30% in the year 2000-2001 to over 75% by 2005. There has also been a substantial increase in the number of outside vehicles brokered. Passenger trips have risen from around 6,000 in 2001 to almost 18,000 in 2005 and are expected to exceed 20,000 in the period April 2005 to March 2006.
Use of the Social Car Scheme has increased from 4 passenger trips in the year 2000-2001 to well over 1000 passenger trips each year in the years 2003 - 2005. To match this demand, the number of volunteer social car drivers increased from 4 drivers in 2002 to 15 drivers in 2005.
Accessible Community Travel Services offers training programmes both internally and to other organisations. The Partnership Project Officer is qualified to train drivers in MiDAS, a minibus drivers course; PATS, a passenger assistants course; and MEEP which is a minibus emergency evacuation procedure in the event of fire on board.
The Partnership is a member of the Community Transport Association (C.T.A.) and has good working relationships with other Transport Partnerships throughout N. Ireland, especially Down Community Transport (DCT) which operates out of Downpatrick. CTA organises a partnership forum at which all PPO’s have an opportunity to meet and exchange news and ideas.
The Travel Committee of ACTS meets on a regular basis with the Committee of Down Community Transport (Downpatrick) to discuss matters of common interest.
The Partnership works in close co-operation with Down District Volunteer Bureau for the recruitment of volunteers. Age Concern Network has drawn up a Volunteer Policy, which is applicable to all volunteers with the Transport Partnership. All volunteers will be offered training and will be managed by trained Staff.
ACTS has brokerage agreements with:
 Disabled Christians Fellowship of Ireland (Newcastle)
 Age Concern (N.I.)
 Annalong Community Association
 Newcastle Inter-Church Community Projects Association
 Down Community Transport
and is actively seeking to expand brokerage agreements with other organisations owning minibuses in the area.
ACTS has a good working relationship with private coach operators in the area which include:
 Newcastle Coach Hire
 Highwayman Int. Coach Hire
 Classic Coaches
 Glen Services
 Aiken Coach Hire
 R.J.G. Bullick
 Rooney Coach Hire
And with the N. Ireland Independent Coach Operators Association (NIICOA). An operational agreement exists between CTA and NIICOA.
ACTS also maintains contacts with local taxi firms in the Newcastle and Castlewellan areas.
Partnership Vehicles
Accessible Community Travel Services operates three vehicles and has brokerage agreements to hire 4 – 6 other minibuses.
 Two year old Mercedes Vito 8 passenger seat Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV) with wheelchair ramp, electric winch and fold up seating. This vehicle is owned by ACTS.
 Six year old Renault Master 12 passenger seat minibus with internal electric tail lift and fully removable seating in rear compartment. This vehicle is leased through Translink.
 Three year old LDV Convoy 16 passenger seat minibus with wheelchair ramp, electric winch and 9 removable seats in rear compartment. This vehicle is owned by ACTS.
As ACTS continues to grow and reach out to the community more vehicles will be necessary to augment these services and while the use of brokered vehicles fills this gap at present, their continued availability is never certain.
The Department for Rural Development is planning to replace the Renault Master with a 16 passenger seat minibus in early 2007.
The lease or purchase, by the Partnership, of a further 16 passenger seat minibus with full accessibility must be a priority as brokered vehicles may not always be available, especially at times needed, and this level of vehicle independence would underpin the current success of ACTS and allow for the addition of more services.
3. PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The Transport Partnership, Accessible Community Travel Services, financed by the Rural Transport Fund, was formed in 1998. Over the last 8 years it has gained considerable experience in providing affordable, accessible transport for all the community and especially for older people and people with disabilities, and has been able to build a secure customer base through individual and group membership. It has increased the number of vehicles in operation to three with the option to broker several others. It has increased the number of volunteer social car drivers to 15 and achieved a high level of usage for this service.
ACTS, during 2006/2008 will continue to operate all its present services, and to see if these can be improved and added to, for the benefit of its members.
During the next two years ACTS will extend its services more effectively to all individuals and all the communities within its operating area and reach further out to people of all age groups who live in isolated rural areas with little or no public transport.
During 2004/2006 more services were initiated in the Castlewellan area and this will be built on and added to in 2006/2008. Services and trips to Annalong, Kilcoo, Dundrum, and other villages will also be increased as demand dictates.
ACTS will seek to attract more member groups and to encourage all member groups to avail of the self drive opportunity by having their own drivers MiDAS trained. This will increase the percentage of usage from 65% to closer to 100% as more groups will be encouraged to book for evening and weekend trips.
Throughout 2006/2008 ACTS will continue to assist elderly and disabled members to overcome mobility problems by offering suitable, demand-led transport services and to monitor the effectiveness of these services.
ACTS will continue to develop new services for its members and group members such as the cinema club, swimming club and other activities which will support the work of local community leaders.
**ACTS will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2008 so during 2007 plans will commence to mark this event. **
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The ACTS office is centrally located in the Main Street of Newcastle and, whilst parking of vehicles can pose problems from time to time, is the ideal place to co-ordinate the transport services. Its display window can advertise ACTS services and trips and can also attract volunteers who wish to become involved in the community.
The office is open Monday to Friday during normal office hours and an emergency phone number is given on the answering machine outside these times.
The office is used to provide:
• Information and advice on Community Transport available in the area and also advice on other forms of transport within the area.
• A booking service for members registered with the Partnership for minibus usage and social car usage.
• Publicity with window displays to attract volunteers and to raise public awareness of community
transport.
During the next two to six years the partnership will strive to achieve:
• An increase in the number of passenger trips. This will be achieved by maximising use of the vehicles the partnership operates and by the brokerage of minibuses from other transport providers.
• An increase in the use of the social car scheme by the recruitment of more volunteer drivers and increasing the public awareness of the scheme.
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• An increase in the number of personnel trained to operate community travel services. This will
include employed drivers as well as volunteer drivers and passenger assistants. It will also include member group drivers trained in MiDAS.
By the promotion and marketing of Community Transport, the Partnership hopes to persuade other people especially in rural areas of the benefits of accessible transport to community life. A marketing strategy to communicate this message over the next two years will be developed in conjunction the action plan.
The Transport Partnership will seek financial support and funding from a variety of sources to provide a sound financial basis for the projects that are planned.
AND.............
The Partnership recognises that whilst community transport services can never be totally self efficient that when the planned group trips and services are established and in full use they will be largely funded from the contributions of the users of those services. If the administration costs are not included this is already true for the social car scheme. Door to door services, especially those for members with mobility needs and one to one assistance will continue to need funding if they are to continue.
6. PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – ACTS Tenth Anniversary in 2008 and Beyond
As ACTS progresses towards its tenth anniversary in 2008 it will by then be recognised by the Community as a reliable provider of affordable, accessible community transport and a viable alternative to private and public transport with economic, environmental and social benefits.
To continue to place ACTS within the community there will be continued recruitment and training of volunteers to serve along side paid employees in the provision of all services. ACTS will seek to improve present services and to implement new services as the need for these becomes apparent.
ACTS will spread throughout all the operating area so that no community or individual feels isolated and that use of ACTS services is available to the whole community living within the seven wards that make up Newcastle and Castlewellan.
The support of the Community will be monitored by periodic evaluation of the activities of the Transport Partnership. Members using the services will achieve this with the filling in of regular questionnaires. Drivers will be encouraged to discuss trips and services with members to judge their satisfaction with ACTS.
In the 1991 census the percentage of people over 65 years resident in Newcastle was 14%, the highest in Down District and 57% of these lived alone. This number is increasing each year and will further increase during the next 5 years thus creating extra demand for the activities the Partnership is presently operating.
With the reorganisation of health care facilities and the closure of many local health services people have further to travel for treatment and to visit relatives in hospital. The Transport Partnership has begun to provide appropriate transport through the social car scheme. Other schemes will be explored in conjunction with local health care providers. ACTS has suggested to health care providers that ‘transport availability’ should form part of elderly patient assessments especially when these patients have to travel long distances to keep appointments with consultants. This would bring community transport and health provision closer together.
The partnership must plan for the future by monitoring how vehicles will be replaced when they reach the end of their useful life so that services can continue and be increased.
In the years to come Community Transport will be securely established as a valuable means of providing affordable, accessible transport solutions. Initiatives put in place by the Transport Partnership will be vigorously promoted and should be well supported and it is hoped that ownership of Community Transport will be rooted in the Community. This should ensure a sustainable basis for the future of the Partnership. |
