14 November 2006
COMMUNITY TRANSPORT BEST PRACTICE GUIDE LAUNCHED
A new best practice guide for community transport organisations was officially launched today by Transport Minister David Cairns.
Speaking at the Community Transport Association Annual Meeting in the Europa Hotel, the Minister said: "I am delighted to officially launch this new Community Transport Best Practice Guide. Community Transport, with funding from the Department for Regional Development, has effectively become the primary source of accessible transport for many older people and people with disabilities living in Northern Ireland, people who would otherwise be excluded from activities that others take for granted simply because of a lack of suitable transport."
The guide, which provides examples of best practice drawn from Community Transport operators both in the UK and Ireland, will help other groups to provide their services to more people both within Northern Ireland and beyond.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Community transport is the term given to transport services that are provided on a not-for-profit basis by voluntary or community groups often using minibuses and volunteer car schemes.
2. DRD provides grants to community transport organisations under the Transport Programme for People with Disabilities and the Rural Transport Fund (RTF). The introduction of the RTF in 1998 led to significant growth in the community transport sector. Community Transport has effectively become the primary source of accessible transport for many older people and people with disabilities.
3. Community Transport Association UK is the national representative body for not-for-profit passenger transport operators in the UK. CTA is the UK's biggest provider of training, advice and information on accessible, voluntary and community transport provision and is in the forefront of work to promote minibus safety and accessibility standards. CTA receives a grant from DRD to operate an advice and information service for the sector here.
4. The guide is available online at www.ctauk.org or by writing to Graham House, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 8BH.
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