Disabled woman praises Weymouth transport scheme (From Dorset Echo)

Disabled woman praises Weymouth transport scheme

1:00pm Monday 14th January 2013 in News By Martin Lea

A DISABLED woman has praised a scheme which makes life easier for older people.

Joyce Hughes of Weymouth is the latest member of Weymouth Community Volunteers’ low cost transport scheme which helps over-55s who live locally with access to hospital and other health-related appointments in Dorset and beyond.

The scheme relies on volunteer drivers to pick people up from their homes, take them to where they want to go and bring them home again.

More drivers are always needed.

Mrs Hughes, 81, of Littlemoor, said it was an ‘excellent’ scheme – and she praised the drivers for ‘going the extra mile’.

Although Mrs Hughes still has access to a car, she often relies on the service to get to appointments at Dorset County Hospital because she has trouble walking and wants to avoid the hassle of parking.

She also occasionally uses the service when she wants to visit her husband who is in a residential home.

She gets a door-to-door service, and on one occasion driver Tim Layzell even picked up some milk for her.

Mrs Hughes said: “Tim was a lovely gentleman who made me feel very comfortable and was very polite and courteous. On one occasion on the way home we were passing a supermarket and he asked if I needed anything. I remembered I was out of milk and he kindly went and got it for me after I gave him the money.”

She added: “It is reassuring to know this scheme is here to help and that I can rely on it to get me to my appointments on time, wait for me, and ensure I get back home safely.”

More than 220 people are now signed up with Weymouth Community Transport.

A one-off registration fee of £5 is required and it costs 50p per mile to cover expenses and the cost of running the scheme. Current pricing for Weymouth to Dorset County Hospital is just over £12 and the driver will wait for two hours.

For longer visits, the price of two journeys will be charged.

Co-ordinator Caroline Greening said: “We get some lovely messages of support for our scheme and our volunteer drivers. Membership is rising rapidly and as you can imagine we are always pleased to welcome more volunteer drivers, both male and female.”

Over-55s who want to sign up and volunteer drivers with their own car and some spare time can call 01305 783999.