Community Transport services commissioned by Hampshire County Council are now beginning to operate again as the Government lifts more travel restrictions. The first services to resume have been the Dial-a-Ride, Call and Go and Shopper services which operate across Hampshire.
Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment at Hampshire County Council, said: “We’ve worked carefully with the community transport operators to put in place measures to reassure passengers, and make sure they know what to expect when they use the service and start to go out and about a bit more as travel restrictions are lifted. This reassurance is particularly important for the older and more vulnerable people in our communities who are regular passengers on these community transport services.
“The operators have been in touch with their regular passengers to make them aware that there will be social distancing measures in place on the vehicles and that they will be expected to wear a face covering. They will also be able to pay their fares using contactless payments on most services. It all helps to encourage people back to the high street safely.”
Community Transport services commissioned by the County Council were suspended in March. However, services have started to resume throughout July. Information has been provided to users on the changes that have been made to ensure that the service is as safe as possible for passengers and staff, including reduced seating capacity, keeping windows open and more regular cleaning of vehicles along with adjusted travel times to allow for queues at shops.
Dial-a-Ride, Call and Go and Shopper services operate across Hampshire in each district council area. They provide a bookable door-to-door accessible transport service which is primarily aimed at people with mobility or sensory impairments who are unable to use or access public bus services. They enable their users to access key services like retail. These transport services are jointly funded by Hampshire County Council and local councils, mainly district councils.
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