Social Car Scheme

Car journeys

Our Social Car Scheme was set up to address the increasing trend of isolation in rural communities for people who have little or no access to transport. People who would not otherwise be able to leave their homes to visit friends and relatives or travel easily within the area. The fares are very low and comparable with local bus fares, with a concession of £1/journey for clients with a valid bus pass.

Clients need to live within our catchment area (Click here for a map) but journeys can be as far afield as you need.

If you do not live in our catchment area please contact the organisation that provides a Car Scheme for your area:

Evesham Community Car Scheme 01386 45035

Malvern Community Action 01684 892381

Upton Car Services 01684 593633

Worcester Wheels 01905 450654

Although our services are dependent upon the availability of volunteers, we are able to offer travel for:

  • social activities, including shopping;
  • visiting friends and relatives;
  • attending lunch clubs or other community events;
  • medical appointments including surgeries, clinics and hospitals throughout Worcestershire.

Journeys can be booked by phone or in person but we need a minimum of 2 working days’ notice. We can provide a maximum of 2 journeys per week to make sure that the service is available to as many people as possible, unless there are exceptional circumstances. We can also offer wheelchair accessible vehicle with 4 seats (including driver) and room for friends or relatives.

 Fares

The charge we make for our service is based on the mileage of each journey within bands of approximately 5 miles. Passengers with a concessionary bus pass travel at a subsidised rate. These rates are calculated on the basis of a return trip as we expect drivers to wait for clients attending appointments etc. When booking a drive we ask for an indication of the duration of an appointment to help us to plan journeys.

We can offer single journeys eg to stay with relatives or where there are alternative arrangements for the return journey.  If an appointment is likely to be a considerable length of time, we may need to work on the basis of two single journeys. These are worked out at slightly different rates to take account of the extra driver mileage incurred. Some clients book regular drives, which may be subject to special rates. Short-notice, emergency journeys and journeys outside usual working hours cannot be guaranteed and may be subject to a small surcharge, which will be discussed in advance when booking.

Registration

To comply with insurance and other regulations, this service is available for registered clients only.  Registration is a very simple procedure. If you live in or around Pershore and want to take advantage of the service, call the Volunteer Centre on 01386 554299 or visit the office to provide your details.  If you have a bus pass, please bring this with you.  Clients, relatives and social workers can also complete our online form.

Booking a drive

Our transport desk, staffed by volunteers, is open for bookings between 10am and noon Monday-Friday and 2-4pm Monday-Thursday.  Once registered, phone or visit the office at least 48 working hours before you wish to travel. The earlier the better to make sure that we can find a driver. Let the volunteer know of any specific arrangements eg whether you are taking an escort, or need this to be a regular trip. The volunteer will make contact later to confirm the driver’s name, arrival time and fare.

Social Car Scheme Drivers

If you would like to join us as a volunteer driver for the Social Car Scheme please register with us by completing this form.

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