Consultation Summary Report

Community Transport Commissioning

Draft Commissioning Strategy CONSULTATION SUMMARY REPORT

Appendices

Community Transport Commissioning Board October 2013

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses through the Questionnaire from Users of Community Transport 428 Responses Returned

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

We are proposing that people will be eligible to use community transport services supported by the council on the basis that they find it difficult or impossible to use public transport and they have no access to a car.

Agreement

• 79 people indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal with no further comment • I am now 92 years young when I could walk a little I joined dial-a-ride • it is a good idea and welcome by us to have one day out a week otherwise we have to get 3 buses to get from Hengrove to Stockwood • I believe any person child young person adult should be able to use if they have any difficulties using public transport • I would be lost without my weekly shopping trips plus day trips where and when possible • a wonderful thing community transport, it helps the elderly get out mainly shopping a break and a truly wonderful service • excellent idea more elderly people will be able to get out and about away from their house • Great idea more pensioners will be able to get out • Your proposals are good for people who find it difficult to walk • it helps me very much I get help on and off the buses • I am unable to walk to a bus stop or carry my shopping home so the more times that I am able to use a bus the better I have to have the transport to doctors dentist and foot clinic so I don’t know how I could do it without the bus it is a wonderful support please don’t take it away • I am 82 years old and have no access to a car and I have to walk with a walking stick so I rely on community transport • I agree to this proposal at the age of 95 as these people like myself would be house band and cost would increase elsewhere • I am 90 in early July and am quite severely disabled (I can only walk a few yards with 2 sticks) I cannot get as far as the bus stop and could not get on and off without assistance. I live alone and have no family and I have no neighbours in a position to help me. • this is vital as many of us disabled struggle with public transport shopping is impossible without CT supplying a door to door service • I think that this is a good proposal I know a lot of people who would like to use CT but have no access to it • I fully agree with the proposal that people will be eligible on the basis that they find it difficult or impossible to use PT the people who really need it must still be able to access this service • Elderly and disabled

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• OAP and Disabled • I believe CT should still be for disabled and elderly this service provide us to do daily shops and appointments and trips • This seems reasonable as I am now able to us CT I am not eligible even for the 2 years that I was in residential care I could not use dial a ride even though not fit to travel by bus • it makes sense to have CT as so many older people don’t have a car can’t drive and have lost partners that did have cars • I agree with this proposal and don’t forget the wonderful drivers • I agree to the above proposal as this is very important for people with mobility problems • I agree that the service should only be for disabled and the very elderly it is currently being abused by people who could catch a bus • agree as an elderly less mobile person I am unable to access public transport near my home • I find this service a great help to me I would be lost without it as I had a stroke 10 months ago and would not be able to go shopping without this service • older people and the disabled • I need this service for my shopping I am 84 years old and find it difficult to carry heavy goods • this is a very good service as it is a lifeline I or many people who can use it is wonderful • I agree with the above proposal I am wheelchair bound I use BDAR and very grateful for such a wonderful service I would not be able to go out otherwise as I do not have a car to access • I believe this was what the service was originally for it shouldn’t be used just for a cheap means of transport for the abled as it has become. No wonder the funds for this service are becoming hard to justify there are people who need this service more desperately • we have a lot of people who do not have cars myself included and to get a bus is quite a distance and carrying heavy shopping up the steep hills is almost impossible so it means several journeys a week to go shopping in all wind and weathers is going to be very difficult without the community transport especially in the Bedminster down area. • some will combine a trip to their bank, post office this is to withdraw money for their day to day living costs also the CT bus also them to do a much better shop than would be possible if they had to walk from normal public transport stops the terrain for instance on Bedminster down is particularly hilly and this means door to door is essential for older people in this area • I totally agree I have no car available and therefore find myself using taxis to get around • this is already the legal criteria • a very good proposal that will able people with health problems to get out and about • shopping facility is a must for most elderly and disabled • it would be ideal for all to have this door to door service as bus service is disgraceful and it would be less cars on the road • people need this transport for a while then not as they have knee and hip replacements and get back to normal • the service has been invaluable to me and my friends as none of us have a car • this proposal is absolutely fine provided the eligible people are fully informed of how to access it easily I do not live in the proposed area for this service but in my area my next door neighbour only knew about how to make contact to CT by word to mouth she didn’t know if she was eligible

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I would like to be able to use it to go to church on a Sunday morning • I think that disabled and blind people and anyone with a mobility issue should be eligible • this is a very helpful service and means that I can visit a friend who is also housebound both in our 90s and do not feel confident enough to go out alone • as a disabled person myself I think this sort of service is very important and help people to get out and socialize or take part in activities • I don’t have a car and manage to use transport when the weather permits it has a lot of people from Frenchay who use this service • I think it’s a very good idea I have serious osteoporosis and public transport is horrendous I also have anxiety and don’t enjoy going far without help • agreed those eligible for transport especially have no access to a car and bus service not available • the reason that I want CT it would mean that I would be able to have it brought up into Penrith gardens where I live I find it difficult to walk to far • this is acceptable providing that it is low cost as most people falling into these categories are on low income • I sincerely hope that the CT service will continue to provide transport for all of the needs as we are unable to use transport • we use this service as we cannot walk far and it takes us from a to b directly and with family it is sometimes too far to walk to the car • in like to be an independent 77 year old as my family is very tight and get on really well • there are many that would benefit from a bus service as main routes are too far to carry shopping in our area of stoke bishop • it’s a god send to be able to use this service as I have had mobility issues for 16 years

Comments About Medical Trips

• I feel it is imperative that services remain available for access to Southmead hospital and other medical centres for the elderly and those with no access to a car • the hospital shunt service from Southmead to Frenchay is invaluable for people like myself • Easy access for hospital appointments • present service for elderly and disabled people seems to cover those who have difficulty getting to necessary places in their district such as some medical appointments and food shopping • very fair particularly frail OAPs who cannot get their trolleys off of the bus and medical appointments • hospital appointments each year Southmead orthopaedics centre it’s a long walk from the main entrance to the orthopaedic department also BRI appointments • this would be brilliant if it actually worked I feel really let down by this group as a person who goes to hospital twice a week and the RNBI once a week • I agree with this proposal as I would not be able to travel to med apps without CT • medical needs should have priority

Comments About Age

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• anybody over 50 • anyone who needs it whatever age they are • All pensioners • everybody elder and disabled over 55 years old • people circumstances change overnight one day they are able the next they are not make it should be over a certain age

Comments About Bristol Dial-a-Ride

• I am happy to pay the fee I’m just glad that I can still travel on BDAR • BDAR is my salvation as regards household shopping • I use the dial-a-ride service and this makes life a lot easier me and my neighbours would willing contribute to this service • I would very much appreciate CT however as a disabled person I have attempted to use the dial a ride service since registering with them some years ago. However over the last 2 years I have been unable to access this service due to the fact that the times within which can phone and book transport are restricted and the phone is consistently engaged on the occasions when i have been unable to get through using the expensive 0845 number i have found that all spaces are booked up in the end i have ceased to attempt to use the service make the number 0117 number and increase the time in which 1 can call • BDAR is my only means of shopping and I am disabled the help we get from the drivers is so good I could not manage without them please don’t take this away from us • I think that dial a ride is very important to people it is some peoples life to get out and about • I use CT BDAR when I can buses do not always go to the area and route required the alternative is to use taxis which are expensive on a limited budget • I fully agree that dial a ride should be more available for those sufficiently disabled enough to find it difficult to use public transport. I have a spinal injury that means I use a walking stick to support me for short slow walks many people are even more handicapped. therefore i try to use dial a ride as little as possible • The DAR service is an amazing service and is an absolute lifeline thank you absolutely • I find BDAR drivers are a god send as they carry my shopping in for me • regular service would enable me to be ready for my pickup I am never in time to arrange a pickup from my home I allow for a shop in the supermarket and a lift back home at a reasonable interval I can never get through to BDAR before it is fully booked • we have no car and I have to use a walker or stick to walk with so dial a ride is a great help • without DAR I would not be able to get my shopping for the week • the same rule for all everyone has to ring to book BDAR • I would like to thank you for the community transport as I cannot use public transport and the drivers are very helpful on dial-a-ride • my wife and I would find life impossible without the occasional access to community transport but often they are not able to take me at the right time or not able to bring us back • I depend completely on DAR to do my weekly shop I’m 93 disabled and cannot walk let alone carrying my shopping I would be lost without DAR

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I use DAR to go and see my husband when I can get a space on the bus as I have no access to a car • please keep the best door to door service DAR which has increased by independence over the last 12 years, it is a service not bettered and makes the elderly and vulnerable feel safe to travel with their level of personal care try not to restrict travel to small areas please • this service is alright as it is the problem is the booking system • I use community transport because I am physically disabled with cerebral palsy and cannot use public transport and am a non-driver and therefore meet the above criteria. I always use Bristol Dial-a-ride and would be lost without them.

Comment About Charging

• quite happy paying £24 per person - per year • I do agree this would be a good idea to charge a membership cost towards the running cost

Comments About Community Use

• I think that anyone in the local area should be able to use it as it is called community transport so they should be able to use it • Disabled and the over 60s in the main areas extending to all where the community is in an isolated area more subsidy from the users outside of the above age groups

Comment About Accessibility

• To make the transport with easier access for getting in or on and off of the vehicle as some are too high and some are very low and a lot have very short steeps and some have some very big steeps

Comments About Access to a Car

• I wonder if the phrase "No access to a car" is adequate. Does the use of a taxi qualify as "access to a car"? Might it be better to say "no easy access to a car"? This seems to preclude people like me who have access to a car but unable to park and walk so use Shopmobility. • I have a car but my health makes it difficult to drive so I rely on your transport like many others • I have fallen bones in my feet and bad arthritis and I have just had my mobility car taken away • I feel that this is a little too restrictive people may have some access to a car only at limited times there is also a social dimension to meeting up with others • some people are able to use public transport or have access to a car but are unable to carry or lift shopping therefore would need dial a ride say once a week to the service • I have a mobility car but use the Catt bus to go shopping • I have access to a car but this is not always possible • no access to a car this would be better if limited access to a car some people have access to a car but they might only have it when they have someone ton drive them • Using access to a vehicle as a criterion fails to understand the problems faced by some disabled people. I have a Motability vehicle but due to my disability I cannot drive it very often. Accordingly I need someone to drive for me and their availability is a major factor. Hence the

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

criteria of access to a vehicle will exclude many with need and so should not be pursued. Transport for those disabled with need should be the criteria. • I am a 90 years old and I do have access to a car however I am limited to driving within a 800 yard radius around my home. Based on what is written above seeing that I have access to a car I may not be eligible to use the CT service but this would be wrong as i cannot drive to my day centres • this depends on what is meant by access to a car if it means that a person can drive the car themselves then that might be ok but there will always be people where a person might not be able to drive their car or there might be times when they are unable to access a car drove by a relative

Comments About Group Hire

• Very concerned at the withdrawal of funding to support "Group Hire" of minibuses. We've used BCT for many years, and are not sure how our group would operate having to pay commercial minibus hire process from commercial hire companies. Plus, would a commercial operator be able to supply a minibus meeting the requirements needed for a section 19 permit? • The Council should continue to provide support for "group hire" of minibuses. • evergreen group is a group of over forty members meeting at Easton community centre without access to community transport they would not be able to come to the weekly meetings many use walking aids such as frames and not able to walk long distances • should still be accessible for volunteer groups and organisations

Concerns About Young People/Youth Groups

• Although I agree strongly with this statement, and the user group that I am in falls into this category, I am worried about other groups missing out i.e. youth groups. • we are a charitable, parent managed pre-school with 40 kids and trips would not be possible without BCT thanks to their subsidised Transport • We currently use BCT for our 2 youth groups, it is for people affected by parental substance misuse • also include youth groups such as scouts

Disagreement

• NO. • this will be difficult to monitor time consuming and expensive to monitor, you have a committed consumer base already and if you don’t limit new applicants to disabled and OAPs and disabled , you still regain the prerogative of final choice

Comments About ‘Invisible’ Disabilities

• keep to social model of disability - there are those in invisible need aim to keep those independent in touch with families and keep their social life as well as local shopping

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I think mental disability should be included.

Comments About Use of Public Transport

• all people unable to reach their main bus services • Agree, but not just "use" of public transport is difficult but walking to and from bus stops (often not that close) with heavy shopping. also public transport may not go from own area to where want to go • It may hinder people from leaving their houses as if you have to explain to people ‘why' you are not able to use public transport or have access to a car, this may create a barrier. As a disabled person, with a disabled daughter, we both get fed up of always explaining ourselves-- almost as if you are constantly being tested. • my concern would be how you determine how someone finds it difficult to use public transport does this exclude elderly • some distance from public services would find it difficult to do my shopping as I don’t have access to a car • I cannot use public transport as I cannot get up and down the step, this is why elderly and disabled people should be the first priority • I am unable to walk to the bus stop and I have angina I hold a blue badge so my granddaughter in an …… I am 90 years old • I agree with this but people could use the bus service if they didn’t have to wait around for ages in this cold weather • I think elderly and disabled should be able to use this service as they feel vulnerable when alone on a dark bus stop • I live off troopers hill and unable to get public transport and do not have a car I use dial a ride to get everywhere and also Shopmobility to get around in Broadmead • I agree with this proposal as it caters for many of the elderly and disabled whose only means of travel is by public transport as it seems that some of the drivers are not trained how to show patience and make sure that frail passengers are safely seated i never feel safe on a bus in Bristol • I greatly support CT as they are efficient prompt regular and on time the drivers of these vehicles are always very polite courteous and willing more than can be said on public transport because the drivers don’t care if they leave you on the bus stop • I agree with this proposal as I am my husband’s carer and trying to get him on and off of public transport is extremely difficult we cannot travel by car and taxis are expensive the pavement levels at bus stops around where we live are too low when we try to get on a bus which puts a lot of strain on myself trying to lift my husband and his heavy wheelchair up even a few inches to get on the bus • I can sometimes use public transport if I take pain tablets which I do not like doing although usually buses are impossible especially where the pavement at the bus stops have not been raised • I like many others can no longer drive due to vision problems as a disabled person with mobility problems it is difficult to use buses because of getting to the nearest bus stop to my home and stand and wait for a bus there are no seats not all buses are wheelchair accessible if

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

i need it most of the time i can get a lift from someone not always i have used BDAR at such time although it is not always available when i need it • I think some of us would like to use buses but would have to take some support i.e. trolleys or 3 wheeler I have tried this but there is a risk of falling about so is quite dangerous • I agree with the above proposal although please bear in mind that most people only use CT if they meet this criterion anyway. It is after experimental problems on public Transport that they seek help elsewhere for many myself included CT is a necessity but last resort to avoid being practically housebound • we can’t get out much as public transport has not been very good in the 52 years that we have lived here so we rely truly on community transport

Comments About the CATT Bus

• It is essential that we have use of the CATT Bus as it is difficult to get to the local shops as there is no direct bus route from Bishport Avenue due to the re-routing of the number 76 bus route. • the CATT bus is our lifeline and is very much appreciated • the CATT bus is a vital lifeline for us • for those who find it difficult it is very important to have the CATT bus running • in my local area the CATT bus is a fantastic service as it allows me to get out and meet more people and being picked up door to door is fantastic if you have health problems • I don’t have access to a car so I always use the CATT bus which is a very good service so please don’t take it away as I use it for the doctors and shopping thank you age 79 • I cannot walk unaided and I use community transport at least 4 times a week both the CATT and Mede Sprint at 85 years old life would be intolerable without it • I am 78 hard of hearing on a basic pension and have no access to a car I need the wonderful CATT bus for shopping at Morrison’s and Tesco’s I need it to visit my sister 83 and a friend in my WSM my daughter in Clevedon and any other days out the CATT makes my life independent and pleasurable the fellow passengers have grown into good friends i and others could not get out without it there is no spaces on normally buses for shopping as babies have priority and it is difficult to get off the bus

Comments About Assessment

• How will the eligibility of someone to use community transport be assessed and will it be fair and quick? • How would this be proven? By trusting people to be honest one would say • does this mean that only those with proof will be able to use the service (i.e. blue badge holders or in receipt of DLA)

Comments About the Housebound

• anyone that would become housebound without the use of this service • if I didn’t have community transport I would become housebound and need to rely on people • if it wasn’t for community transport I would be house bound so for me it enables me to be independent

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I am a pensioner and I don’t drive I can’t walk very far so without this service I would be housebound during the week • Localised transport is a necessity even though some areas have no access as it allows some people get out that wouldn’t normally be able to get out

Comment About Reducing Car Usage

• I think that anyone should be eligible because it would reduce the amount of cars on the road

Comments About Mede Sprint

• we find it difficult to queue for public buses so community transport allows us to travel to our clubs easily (Mede Sprint) • I use the Mede sprint all the time

Comment About Social Deprivation

• There are also vulnerable people in social deprivation who also can use community transport it is and should not be just an old peoples bus • People of any age or disability with concession for those on very low income or benefits

Comment About Delivery of Service

• community pays for the service therefore they should have access to it the transport service should be delivered by the council not for profit • There needs to be a more? Up approach to community groups and voluntary organisations need to access to cheap and travelling options there are council mini buses not used hardly I.e. CYPS why can’t they form part of the community transport strategy • would be better with 1 city wide operator 3 different operators providing the same service could get confusing how about evenings and week

Comments About BCT

• BCT provide a good and reliable service with friendly and helpful drivers being able to select one’s own choice of shopping for the week has become vital to maintaining ones independence when living alone • BCT is used by the disabled and elderly • I am a mobility user and it is a fantastic service BCT • we use BCT to take young people away for scout camps as we cannot afford anything else • we use CT for getting young people to and from camps/events - things they would not be able to do if transport was not available

Comments About Advertising

• could advertising the service be possible as although the regulars pass the word where possible the buses are not full which makes the service less viable from a providers point of view

Comments About Companions

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Does this proposal still allow people to bring their own escort?

Comments About Shopmobility

• this should be made available to all elderly people especially to wheelchair and electric scooters where people would like to shop - Broadmead Cabot Circus and the Mall • I find it essential as I am incapacitated • My capacity to walk is limited so scooters are a lifeline in every town

Comment About Short Term Mobility Issues

• If an injury or an operation means they can’t do the above for a short period, they should also be able to access the service

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

We are proposing that the city will be split into 3 areas. Services would be constrained within these area boundaries but would all include journeys to the city centre. This would focus on local journeys and would offer more journeys per passenger than if services were provided on an unconstrained citywide basis.

Agreement

• 71 people indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal with no further comment • there are bound to be people who are not happy with this but I think it will be good once people have get used to it. I’m pleased for the drivers who often have to cross Bristol at busy times to take 1 user to a distant place the drivers must be given more consideration than they are at present • I think this proposal is a good idea, provided it does take in the city centre. • Provided that it’s equal to all areas. • Agree in principal. Mostly works like this now. would be nice to have occasional trips "out of area" • this would be a good idea because then we could have more services • We are happy with the proposal of 3 areas • A reasonable proposal in the current economic climate • good idea as I can’t get into the centre • I think this proposed idea would be very good to offer more journeys per passenger to the city centre • I fully agree with the proposal to split it into 3 areas there would be a good variety of shops in each area and activities to do to contribute to the local community its essential to have travel to the centre as it is important for the Shopmobility and this would allow the older to have more short trips • this would be a very good idea and should cut cost

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Like this idea but could be well publicised consider donations • 3 areas certainly sounds good of helpful to so many more • I think this is a very good idea it will save time and fuel expenses • I think that the division is a good idea I am in agreement with it • localising journeys is a good idea • the above proposal seem both fair and sensible and acceptable but should 1 visit to Bedminster down occasionally would this be possible please I have been a dial a ride member for a long time . • A sensible decision - but I always visit staple hill would it be included? • I think this is a good idea although it wouldn’t affect us all our group is in the same area • the 3 areas shown are good but do not make any smaller it will still allow us to go to the city centre if required • the 3 areas seem sensible providing each area provides the important services required by users • this is a good plan if journeys can be arranged where drivers pick up people from the same area although going to different destinations this would save the buses taking only 1 or 2 people and going over the same ground twice • a very good suggestion it will help drivers find their way around each area better • I was pleased to learn of the proposal to split the city into 3 areas this makes good sense as several drivers when picking me up have said when asked that their next pick up is on the other side of the city this not only uses extra time but I would have thought not very economical on fuel it would also be helpful if computer times given could be more reliable and not consistently changed • sounds good but difficult to deliver • I think this idea is good and far more efficient • it seems reasonable but it may not suit some • I think if it makes it more practical its better than not having any CT at all • understand that this needs to be done due to the fact of the cuts • yes I agree if there was a split into 3 areas this if you could provide transport • agree this should be more cost efficient provided pickups in the individual sectors were correctly co-ordinated I understand that blue sector will include bi-monthly trips • this is a good way of making sure that everyone gets a lift • this service is very good at the moment as we can use our bus passes

Comments About Areas

• do not understand what you are asking observation east area is smaller than the north and the south • it would be good if our local area covered Emerson’s green shopping centre and staple hill as going into the city centre is too overwhelming for some people

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Occasionally I may wish to go to Temple Meads and Fishponds. Limiting the transport to specific areas would make life difficult. However if the described areas were pick-up areas where a vehicle is based to give a city wide service there may be some merit. • Sounds like a good idea is temple meads in Cabot? • would the north area include trips to the mall and Cribbs Causeway because there have been big improvements there • it seems a good idea but I live in the green area and go to golden hill Tesco can I still go here • it would also make it more difficult for people who have to change buses, on the centre • I think that I live in the Cabot area, I use leisure activities in the east and south is Frenchay hospital not included I think the service should be citywide • if all services include journeys to the city centre would suggest the three areas could be subdivides to make them more manageable • I only use the local journeys to get to the local shopping facility • living in Withywood I am concerned about the length of time I would have to stay on the bus if we had to pick someone up in Brislington would hope they will be a different round for other areas • I imagine this service would be necessarily divided into areas for reasonable maintenance and operation • if all journeys included traveling to the city centre that would be very worthwhile even if the cost was raised for each person • Constrained areas are better • agree I live and shop in the south area it is a good proposal because it includes journeys to the city centre • I would fall in to the south area and I have some concerns as to the windmill hill area being almost impassable for cars at times has anyone checked the feasibility of buses in that area • I am concerned about the proposal as I live right on the boarder of north and east. My travel is mainly to the east • does this mean we cannot go from blue north to pink south • A regular weekly service to pick up mid-morning and return mid-afternoon from each of the 3 regions indicated on page 4. • I notice that fishponds and Staple Hill is not on the map is there a reason for this to me living in manor road these areas are local or are we included in Frome vale as some people don’t realise about this • all are too large to cover and smaller areas would be better all this is dependent on the number of vehicles • perhaps it would be better to finish at Broadmead than the centre but 3 zones good idea • it would be far better if it went to Broadmead if this goes ahead • I don’t know what other areas have to offer but the east has nothing as far I as I know other than allowing me to shop in the centre and Easton Tesco’s that’s it I don’t even have a choice of supermarkets take the south they have all the shops in the south etc. in Bedminster, Brislington Knowle and Broadmead they have baths and goodness knows what else

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• would people have to change transport in the centre if they were going north to south of the city • I wish the service would include Morrison’s at Cribbs Causeway even if they put it on once a month • 2 areas would be better than 3 and it should be split right across the middle alternatively it may be better to be citywide • there needs to be more than just 3 areas there needs to be for example 6 or 7 • I believe splitting the areas into 3 areas would not be a good idea for the elderly and disabled users say for example travelling from Brislington to Southmead Hospital this could be made for difficult and stressful • the red area does not appear to include Broadmead • I think that the map should take in Cribbs Causeway as there is more variety and like Shirehampton and Lawrence Weston there is only 1 co-op • will people who live in the north area and shop in the south still be able to do so • 3 areas is near original service but may provide more trips when funding is cut please consider an arrangement for overseeing a connections point for members to change from 1 area to another for longer journeys such as visiting relatives in care homes or hospitals out of there area • area mobility scooters

Comments About Dial-a-Ride

• I rang the office twice just to visit my cousin who is 97 years old but was refused in my opinion the same people get all the privileges I say make a little change and then see the difference • I think the map of the 3 areas make sense we have started to use dial a ride but have found it hard to get through and all the seats are always booked • dial a ride is always full and you can never get a bus when you want to go somewhere • this is a good idea but they have to reliable so that people aren’t left waiting, so they have to have enough buses to cover the area • I think that the area DAR cover is too big and I rely on doing my shopping • I think it’s a good idea to split into areas if there is more provision in the north area apart from shopping the only place I want transport to is Bishopston to Redcliff and every week we are refused because we live to far away. Does this mean that I will not be able to get to Redcliff but only to the centre? I am quite happy to pay the membership fee but have been disappointed with the recent service • this appears an excellent proposal I find BDAR that supports my shopping an absolute god send arrangement delivered with care and compassion by the volunteer drivers • could services be extended to include Cribbs Causeway • every time I book even if it’s a week in advance the day before I get a phone call to say that it’s not available on the times booked my hospital appointment is 15.30 till 16.30 each Friday I was offered an appointment to be picked up at 2pm brought back at 4pm can’t understand why they be booked in advance

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I think that the larger buses should be fully occupied as a recent experience I was the only one on a large bus there and back • it’s a waste of our money when DAR cant never give you a ride they always say they are fully booked and I don’t like their booking system

Comments About Cross Boundary Trips

• Seems sensible to me. What is the implication of the "neighbourhood Partnership Boundary"? Does this mean that I could not go from Westbury to, say, Hengrove on a Westbury Social Access vehicle? • I don't know if I agree with this proposal, my husband was in Riversway Nursing Home in St George would I have been able to use Dial a Ride from Broomhill to visit him? • I think that this is a very 'narrow' view of Bristol. How do you propose to go from area to area within these separate boundaries? All get off one bus and get onto another? Our user group starts within the boundary but the destination is just outside in Mangotsfield. How will this affect us? Will our group not be eligible because we have strayed slightly over the boundary? • The 3 area option - looks to be ok, however what if you wanted to travel city wide i.e. across the areas. • Understand the logic but it seems unfair that an elderly person living in Henleaze is unable to use community transport to visit family in say Southmead hospital in the next zone but only a mile way. • will need a provision in place for people crossing over the boarder why are the constraints there anyway • this sounds fine on the surface but I live in the east and I have friends in the north or hospital so what will happen then • I think that it would be better to be able to visit different parts of the city and not stay local I visit friends and shop out my area often • it would be best to go to different parts of the city and not just local as we need to go to various places whether we meet up at drop in sessions or trips • would the transport be able to go from Westbury to Tesco’s at golden hill • This service would not benefit some people it is good to be able to travel locally but many trips out of our area e.g. living in the east we couldn’t get to Southmead hospital it is also good to keep in touch with elderly relatives though this service as it is thus benefiting the visitor and visited • this would be satisfactory way to deliver the service and maximise journeys the only snag being the nearest supermarket to me Tesco in the green area • this would not be suitable for my husband’s needs he has Alzheimer’s and lots of other complaints which stops him getting out like he use to we attend Whit church on a Monday and a Wednesday Whiteladies Road on a Thursday and Withywood once a fortnight on a Friday as you see we would be housebound if you won’t go over the boundary at the moment because of dial a ride he has a more active life style which keeps him happy this could change I know but at the moment this is his needs and it helps me to provide better care for him and many others thank you

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Have to be inter area and flexible as shopping and medical services are in different areas to where we live • Could prove a disaster for people living near the boundaries there would have to be flexibility E.G we live in Southmead and supermarket doctors and dentist are all in Horfield • I live in BS9 I am 92 years old live completely alone and have no close friends and no living family I am partially sighted and I would like to visit the Asda in Bedminster as it costs me £25 by taxi this is in a different area perhaps you could consider this please • Does this mean there would be no access between boundaries medical appointments at hospitals or maybe occasional visit to a particular firm/store to purchase or replace something like furniture? • if this proposal goes ahead it will mean I am no longer able to visit the graves of my relatives in Avonview cemetery, St George and greenback cemetery Easton there is no bus service to green bank so DAR has been very helpful • this proposal is sensible although there needs to be a provision for the occasional trip across the city for instance my wife and I have to go from Knowle to Southmead hospital for treatment • this would disadvantage customers who wish to make cross boundary trips • I object to this proposal as I need to cross over the boundaries every now and again perhaps there should be a mileage limit or give passengers only an amount of long journeys a year • could they not devise a plan for everyone to get to a set place each week for a trip across the boundary • it would be absolutely useless because people will want to travel outside the areas to get to the places that they currently go to • my carer has written this for me where we live I will be cut off from all my friends and groups if you will not go over the boundaries change is not good for my conditions I get very disorientated I do hope you will be able to help me and have a slightly different plan thank you

Comments About Group Hire

• 3 areas better than the other proposals. I can understand the objective of keeping shopping journeys etc local and not taking people from one side of the city to the other to buy their groceries. But, how will this work for group hire? We're based in 'red' - does that mean we'll only be able to use a minibus to get to places in the red area? • our youth project requires transport in the east and the south and this would make it impossible if this was brought in • again youth groups such as scouts benefit sing a minibus • The Plan could affect groups like the polio fellowship who have members require to be picked up for monthly outings and they live in different areas • we do not always use BCT for local journeys if the funding would stop we wouldn’t be able to afford to take young people on scout camps that build character and teach youngsters how to be useful members of the community • this is not practical as a group we use CT to go on trips outside of Bristol

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comments About Medical Trips

• I live in Henleaze and will need to attend clinics at the BRI and Southmead Hospital. • Local areas a good idea but I need to get to Southmead Hospital, The Eye Hospital and the BRI. To go on trips I must be able to reach Temple Meads Station and Eastgate/Anchor Road for coach trips. • More common sense - provided that these boundaries are flexible enough to provide transport to the city centre, hospitals etc. where they are really useful. • No keep the journeys throughout so that we can all get to our hospital appointments on time • I agree with this in general but should like to maintain our once a month trip to the mall I also wonder what will be the position if we have medical appointments outside our area • Transport is needed for hospital appointments i.e. St Michael’s and Frenchay. City centre journeys appreciated as well as local • Journeys further for hospital appointments but up to centre if not • Interzone exception trips should be made for hospitals there is no other option to use if you can’t afford to get a taxi everywhere • this could be a problem as my husband has appointments occasionally at Southmead hospital and this would prevent us getting there as we live in the east area • disagree the dentist hairdressers Cosham and Frenchay hospitals is in south glouc I require transport to other areas in Bristol and south glouc • I think you should consider all appointments to Bristol hospitals as important for people like myself unable to use public transport or have access to a car I am disabled in my 80s have taxi which I can ill afford. • for people unable to get to hospital by any other means can use the service • I notice Frenchay hospital where neurological medical services are provided is not included all other hospitals are the NHS centre in Bradley stoke does this mean I cannot obtain help to get there I live in coombe dingle what happens if I need to get to an address in other areas it’s too restrictive I’m confused i thought it was designed to make life easier • buses should be provided for appointments such as St Michaels and Frenchay and Southmead hospitals impossible to get there without such transport • does that mean users would be able to access transport to/from sites within their own area effectively preventing current users accessing other areas of the city i.e. a resident of Brislington could not use the new service to get to Southmead hospital • for general shopping and doctors’ appointments the area system could work however, I do find visits to hospital consultants so much easier with an adapted coach and helpful driver as opposed to the average taxi driver too impatient to get the next fare • in theory this would work however someone from Whitchurch Park could then not get to healthcare elsewhere but sometimes it is essential for people to venture elsewhere • I support the city being split into 3 areas as I believe the service would be able to run more efficiently I am wheelchair bound and require transport to docs and hospital I rely on this service getting me there

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• this is a bad proposal I need transport from the east to the BRI, Frenchay and Southmead on a regular basis I cannot get on public transport and the seats are constricting please do not construct the boundaries • I needed to use the service from Stoke Bishop to Frenchay hospital but I couldn’t because it is outside the area. This is silly. Neuro lady is only at Frenchay • How would a person in the south get to a hospital in the north i.e. Southmead this needs to be an exceptional circumstance clause • 3 areas is a good idea I think hospital should be included in blue area

Comments About Charging

• I agree to split the city, it makes it easier and people wouldn’t mind having to pay a small fee for a door to door service • library books 50p to hire and pensioners day rider £1 • if it is impossible to arrange a weekly service a fortnightly service would be better than nothing I would be happy to pay £1 or £2 a trip much cheaper than £6.00 for a taxi this would be on top of the £24 membership fee • If now the service is chargeable there should be no boundaries why take away the choice? • I would be prepared to pay extra o travel to another area

Comments About BCT

• we have used BCT to go to trips outside our area and we were able to offer this to parents, but only with BCT as other operators were too expensive • the evergreen group members live in all 3 areas the Bristol community transport picks members up from their homes all over Bristol so if this was put in place then transport for the members would be very costly and would have a big impact on people as the group is finically self sufficient

Comments About Public Transport

• I like the idea that the service operates in areas, where there are not enough buses • go back to Bristol city omnibus company and do it not for profit • I am selling my house in Brooklyn road to be able to move up the hill and onto a regular bus route an increase in bus service would be very important to me • Door to door because of no buses

Comments About Being Locally Based

• we have no comment on the matter, we feel being locally based it would be more advantageous • Delivered by localised CT organisations not for profit with a local one for each area shown

Comments About The Mede

• Please please keep the Mede sprint in service for the area that it serves

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comments About CATT Bus

• I would be lost without the Catt bus because I go on it because I have a bad back and I can’t walk to far • limiting the Catt to scheduled services in the south area is fine as this is how it has always been and I was one of the first to sign up however we still need the occasional day out as well as door to door

Comments About Drivers

• this is probably a good idea many of us need lots of local services our driver is so good it has changed our lives he cheers up our lives not having to worry about how to get to the shops and to just see a friendly face • I should also wish to say that the drivers on community transport are very good and helpful • the drivers are very helpful

Comments About Booking

• for visiting one of these other areas would you be able to make 2 bookings for the same journey (I.e. one for each area to be picked up in the city centre for the second half • agree but they should be able to book in advance to go to another area

Disagreement

• I think if the service is restricted to local journeys I don’t think that it’s a good idea • This is madness pure and simple. No person disabled or not can constrain their need for transport to a local area. Why would anyone think this is practical? As but one example I need to use CT to attend hospitals in all 3 areas so I could not get access to two of the hospitals under this proposal! Bristol is a city with poor public transport; don't make it worse for the disabled.

Comments About Discrimination and Social Exclusion

• this is a discrimination against those needing non-conventional transport longer journeys for social, clubs, church and visiting friends and family in different areas it would need some safe transfer from 1 area to another • as above the suggested split encourages already high levels of inequality a community bus service needs to meet the needs of those least able to access transport any other way and who if unable to use this option will become even more excluded in society

Comments About Vehicles

• small buses running more frequently

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would mean that …activities such as group vehicle hire trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

Agreement

• 28 people indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal with no further comment • would like to see the future promises of this statement upheld • this seems a good idea as long as the price is right • the door to door service is vital for senior citizens • as I am a wheelchair user this service is very important to get me to appointments because they have to have a ramp for me to get on board and I have to take my career with me • this is a good idea and could help the elderly and disabled that are struggling with their shopping • door to door transport for shopping • the CT provision which is demand responsive door to door transport for shopping leisure and social activities would be welcomed • I agree that CT needs to be demand responsive door to door for shopping and social I agree with the proposal not to fund group hire and trip to med appointments and day centres the demand for trips to medical appointments is so high that it would exclude other trips • Door to door transport for social and shopping activities need to be maintained at all costs the door to door side of the service is essential • acceptable if organisations are run efficiently • a good proposition providing the organisation are run efficiently • Door to door shopping is what many of us require. Visiting friends and social clubs get the lonely out of their homes without this they do not go anywhere or see anyone • I agree that some organisations might be able to provide help with transport for their clients • I think the core funding is an ideal approach in the present financial situation • a good way for funding • I agree with this organisations should fund their own resources and engage in fundraising • I totally agree with this strategy for organisations to take me to my apps • if there is a budget the best for everyone has got to be decided within means • I believe that the council should still fund door to door transport in whichever way they can • this is a good proposal to keep the 2 groups separate

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Trips to Medical Appointments

• trips to medical appointments and transport for day care services should receive high priority • If the organisations are left to their own devices you will find that they will promote their services to the wider public for increase in revenue thereby cutting down/out the services currently available for medical appointments, day care services etc. • Funding for medical appointments should come directly from the council because it is vital for people to attend them. Also it is important for people to be able to go shopping and get out and about because they might find it difficult to use public transport. • I think that it should be door to door e.g. doctors and shopping for the elderly and disabled • because of the parking issue I think that transport to appointments should be retained • by cutting transport to appointments you are effectively making people housebound which I though was the point of community transport • Well of course I hope that all people say that transport to medical appointments and care centres are vital! I think you should make it happen • I think that going to the doctors is vital and should be used for this purpose as I use the Mede sprint and I am as regular at my local clinic • hospital and doc appointments are important and my way of getting there is through community transport • if a passenger has regular monthly clinic or hospital appointments then these to be booked 1 month in advance • as far as hospital at the moment you can get transport from doctors again surely a small charge could be charged • transport to appointments should take priority over social activities • you should concentrate on essential transport for medical appointments and day care provisions for those without access to a car • Medical appointments should be prioritised above shopping and social. • appointments should be funded otherwise a small contribution would be fine • this service as it is essential for hospital appointments and those appointments should be priority • usually my requirements are not on a community basis but involve visits to Frenchay or Southmead hospitals to see consultants or receive treatment • yes it’s a good idea as there are thousands of people going to hospitals and medical centres • dial-a-ride is the only option that I currently have available for medical appointments it is the major use for why people use the service • getting to appointments is always a must for the elderly provision for this would be helpful • booking transport for med apps in all surgeries there are volunteer drivers so I don’t see the need to book transport • I hope that the organisations will be able to supply trips for hospital or doctor appointments as this is mainly what we use it for • doctor as well as shopping leisure and social activates • NHS provide transport for people to medical appointments

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• social trips whilst desirable are less important than day to day necessities i.e. medical apps hospital visits and shopping which are several areas where direct payment cannot be used • it would be very helpful if we could have the BDAR service for shopping and hospital appointments • transport for medical appointments is most important • demand responsive transport is excellent and important but I fail to see how medical appointment transport can be less important than a social visit • all the ones that it does already plus a lot more on the mental health and drugs side e.g. in Southmead • I appreciate that limited funding is going to affect services I hope that appointments will be catered for • hospital and clinic appointments are the most important of all you can’t get NHS transport if you can walk a little distance • I think taking the vulnerable people to hospital appointments is a much great need as a lot of people can’t go as they are not eligible for hospital transport • I think that med apps should be funded • I need this service for MED APPS as otherwise my life would become impossible and I would become really stressed • I have started using dial a ride and I have not used it for any other reason than hospital apps if this stops I will have to use taxis which I can ill afford • most users are elderly and the imp criteria is med apps • to attend med apps to make sure that we can get to hospital doctors on time as there is no direct bus routes and taxis are £15 a trip which I can’t afford • Failing to provide transport for things like hospital visits makes no sense. It is one of the most important needs of disabled people and with Bristol splitting hospitals all over the city it is not just a 'nice to have thing' it is a vital service. • My GP won't fund transport to hospital even though I am severely disabled. My GP won't do home visits they just send the 111 service that are medical clerks. I do not agree that CT should not do medical trips. I would pay half a taxi fare to CT to take me to hospital. • We have one bus per hour and if the bus is late we can miss a doctor's appointment at the health centre. Dial-a-ride is a vital service for me. I am 86 years of age and I need help with heavy food shopping. They even bring my shopping bag to my kitchen. I have moved but I try to keep my clubs up that I have belonged to for many years and the old friends there where we meet once a month. Often DAR is able to pay this possible for me and I look forward to it very much. They do some weekend trips on week-ends which give me something to look forward to. • I need transport to med apps to and from Horfield med centre • I am 95 years old and getting to hospital when you don’t drive is vital • transport to medical appointments has to be funded cause they are the most important

Group Vehicle Hire

• I think the group idea is good

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Perhaps there could be a city wide provision to support group hire of minibuses. This could even be financial support on a per hire basis rather than providing funding via a contract with no knowledge on hire rates. • We already pay to use the BCT buses and use a considerable amount of our budget (which is not huge) on funding to take our group to church every week. It would be most detrimental to them if they could not attend, leaving them isolated and vulnerable. • The Council should continue to financially support "Group Hire" of minibuses for not-for- profit organisations in Bristol. • We hire out mini buses when we run holiday camps for children. We offer free places to children who otherwise couldn't afford to come. If we were unable to use BCT mini buses we couldn't afford to take them out on trips and do activities that their families couldn't afford. • certainly the service that BCT provides to the evergreen group based at Easton community centre is a door to door service • youth groups are often cash strapped and benefits to youngsters of going in a minibus is huge so please continue to subsidise minibus travel for scouts • hire of minibuses to groups needs to be supported • it shouldn’t just be for local journeys as we need it to get to places i.e. Southampton and Minehead we would never be able to do this without BCT reducing activates for disadvantaged youngsters • as a voluntary organisation we use group hire to take our members to the trips our funds are minimal we would not be able to do the trips if the cost increased • whilst demand responsive transport provision is good group hire is important to LWCT CATT and BCT we will struggle to get similar provision elsewhere particularly if they are wheelchair users

Funding

• I think that council should still help fund this service • personally the funding of BDAR and social access receive is vital to me • Should not change the current funding • funding transport themselves even with the council support is just not a viable option the council needs to look at how it can utilise under used resources that could be managed by an org to get the most cost effective and least damaging • we do not have funds to develop this service for ourselves • I think it’s important to focus on door to door transport as this is something buses cannot provide • only concern is that organisations may not be able to raise enough funds from other services to continue providing the service they offer without continuing financial support from the council the door to door transport for shopping and social activities for the vulnerable people is vital and must be continued otherwise face considerable hardship

Vehicle Utilisation

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• the only comment I feel I can make there must be a better way to use this transport by filling up the buses with passengers more often than not I am the only one on a big bus not cost effective recently

Taxis

• Private taxis are very expensive and often 'totted up' to more than it should be. They should be regulated by the City Council.

Social Isolation

• I believe the council should concentrate its money on areas where disabled/ old people would otherwise miss out; this is essential to ensuring that this group of people don't become isolated or feel a burden • council needs to provide for elderly that are house bound 24/7 • any amount of money that will get people out and about • help for disabled should take priority as it is not planned and can bring your world down • I live on my own and I have no family in England and my dear husband passed away 10 years ago with cancer • group activates and social actives provide a chance to enjoy meals out and helps people to feel that they are still part of everyday life • door to door transport is very good for people can’t get on the local transport please don’t stop the funding it lets people have a life • I think group buses are a good plan enabling people to enjoy each other’s company and get out from brick walls

Comments About ‘Joined Up’ Transport

• The basic principle of the CT scheme must be to interact with existing transport media successfully so that it is possible, with a little planning, to provide a 'joined-up' transport scheme for those who have no other alternative. The concept of providing a 3 to 5 year funding scheme is far more useful than the current stumbling system.

Comments About Transport to Day Care

• please keep funding for day care centre's/transport, going to these centres are for some people the only contact with other's • always keep the day centres and build more up to date ones throughout the city

Comments About CATT

• services such as CATT could not afford to finance these journeys themselves and people would suffer • Please don’t take the Catt bus away it helps a lot of people as its door to door and it is very helpful

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• many people who use the Catt bus rely on it wholly not only for transport but to check on other Catt bus users its essential community care • the Catt bus has a good service relying on its volunteers to drive for them • I am so afraid the Catt bus will no longer run I am selling my house • why are the community transport people i.e. the Catt bus service not allowed to advertise around places showing the route that they will cover more people will know about the service • my observation of CT is as follows due to the ban on advertising routes it has been made difficult for them to build up routes in our area several of our residents actually hand delivered notification of the commencement of the Catt bus service door to door note we had help to produce the leaflet from Dawn Primarily, MP, after it had Dave Parry’s approval

Comments About Charging

• I think people would be willing to contribute if it meant that they didn’t lose the service • it would be worth the £5 a year to us please keep the service running for us • We are willing to contribute for our trips to clubs clinks and any other trips that we make • as a carer for my wife and the only activity we can safely jointly be involved in, I would be prepared to contribute a reasonable amount to maintain the service but that is limited to what I can pay with the rising costs of food • I would not like to lose my bus I would be willing to pay a small fee • annual fee would be suitable • a small fee annually • if community transport start charging then I would hope that it would be lower compared to a taxi • perhaps it would be a good idea to charge for the service e.g. a £1 • not all users are able to afford £24 therefore could a small charge be made per journey even with a diamond travel card • I am willing to help pay towards the transport • I feel that dial a ride should be free or there should be a flat 50p fare each time • I agree with the cost will be £24.00 per member thank you for the help • I appreciate that the yearly charge has to be made but trust that they do not take into account that not all elderly can afford that • I think £24 is fair for those who wish to use other services but the door to door BDAR should be kept free as it has always been for the elderly and disabled now I am largely housebound and have not used this service for some time but I wish to remain a member in case my health improves • I always thought we should pay something • I have a bus pass but I would be happy to pay a little towards my travel • I wish it was possible to pay a taxi fare for dial-a-ride taxi drivers are not always considerate • a fixed fare for use

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• the majority of people I know (now in their 80s) have spent a life time working and paying taxes and raising families so maybe we should be considered for a bit of help maybe not always a free be but not thrown on the scrap heap • will the membership fee fund the shortfall in the service if not how would it be funded • this suggests that providers have to find alternative ways i.e. perhaps charging for the items highlighting • I am in agreement with an annual subscription to use the citywide service. • I have been saying for a long time that we should pay a yearly membership for both dial a ride and Shopmobility • I would suggest that we all pay a small fee • I think that it is a good idea to charge people that don’t have a bus pass to bring a little bit if support to the service • there should be a fee of £1 per trip as well as the membership fee • could most passengers pay a reasonable fee • I do not object to the fee if I could get a ride but often this is not available • I would be quite happy to pay for my journeys • we pay our fee so those who want group hire should pay extra

Comments About Drivers

• we are very grateful for the door to door service and the drivers are excellent especially john who is superb • I would like to say that the community bus I use and that martin drives is the best the driver is a very kind man and I would hate to lose it

Comments About Clarity

• make clear distinction between the 2 elements to avoid confusion

Comments About Public Transport

• we use the 8 and 9 and the hospital bus chiefly • I have a bus pass however the local buses do not have a varied enough destination for me and I find it difficult to use more than 1 service on a day out • replacing other forms of public transport not accessible to the disabled • bus fares are expensive in the city cannot stand for long on bus stops I walk with stops • first bus make millions why can’t they make a donation to services would be great for their image • there is no easy access to apps by public transport routes so I use CT • I have my walker and my bus pass and they can take me anywhere

Comments About Dial-a-Ride

• dial-a-ride are already trying to make extra revenue by doing day trips and vehicle hire • BDAR should be focused on disabled people

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• if you take a booking you should do your best to try and do it because when you book its available • I only use BDAR for day centres. If this was taken off the funding then BDAR would have no use or benefit to me • DAR has introduced a fee and this is good and the others should follow suit • I am partially sighted and depend on DAR to do my shopping. Recently I have been experiencing problems because they say they will come and then they phone on the day and cancel. I also need two hours to do my shopping rather than one hour. • Door to door is essential with well-trained driver escorts who escort user to the door and give help whenever needed. Dar does this with quality care and safety please keep this service • DAR should stay as they are good • I regularly use the service but the changes made to the service a few years ago means I now need to phone to book a place on the bus I’d like to maintain my independence by doing my own shopping • I personally enjoy my trip out with BDAR to Broadmead once or twice a week where I live there aren’t any large superstores and I wouldn’t mind paying for this service

Comments on the Taxi Sharing Scheme

• the withdrawal of the taxi sharing scheme which will cause difficulties for elderly and disabled can this be funded by the council

Comments About Vulnerability

• support community should not be just elderly support at real costs not clearly because it is a vulnerable sector set up define vulnerable properly

Comments About Community Organisations

• Combine community transport org other localised community organisation to share admin and resources

Comments About The Mede

• they should fund buses Mede sprint for appointments and social activities • please keep the local Mede sprint running as it is a vital part of older people’s lives that live in the Knowle area

Disagreement

• you asking the wrong questions • might the council contribute the money they save from providing pavements like death- traps towards the community transport better yet cancel the numerous consultations and meetings they have which reach no other conclusion other than to have a meeting and then another e.g. the failed arena at temple meads

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• council should fund all social transport rather than waste money on so many ludicrous idea • not sure this will work

Concerns About Eligibility

• provide essential services make sure the people using the services are the people who need them not the ones who abuse them

Comments About Regular Service

• disabled people need regular transport

Lawrence Weston Community Transport

• I belong to LWCT - a brilliant service that allows many members to go out to shops and clubs who would otherwise be prisoners in their own home due to their disabilities they enjoy the camaraderie on board the bus and the help of others around them it’s like a big happy family and you are made to feel good and return home cheerful it’s great to laugh and have people around you to talk to i would be quite lost without it - they are brilliant

A Community Bus for Brislington

• a community bus for Brislington such as the one that they use at Hartcliffe would be useful

Community Transport for Southmead

• CT for people who live in Southmead

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

Agreement

• 99 people indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal with no further comment • if advocating mechanised wheelchairs and mobility equipment make certain individual efficient sufficiently enough to handle safely • This is an imperative as it opens up the whole city centre for those who need to use mobility aids. Perhaps it would be useful to offer an incentive scheme to buy mobility vouchers in advance to make better use of the scheme or even a ‘buy five get one free' system? • For the minority this is an absolutely wonderful service. It gives real independence. The service of bringing a mobility scooter to the bus stop gives the person real freedom to access an 'everyday', 'normal' activity [shopping, meeting friends] which has become, otherwise, almost impossible.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I think that is a brilliant idea. I don't go shopping there very often as it is difficult for me to get around. If I could hire a mobility scooter to get around it would give me the freedom to shop more often and enjoy doing so. • I only come to Bristol occasionally knowing I can use an electric scooter • this is a very important service and funding it is very important • I use this service and would not be able to go shopping without it as I am disabled • I have found this service invaluable because it helps me to shop in Bristol • we do not use the central area but this could be a good idea • it would be a good idea as some people do not own a wheelchair • I would welcome wheelchair availability as my arthritis is getting worse with my age • this is a good idea but people with mobility problems also have their aids • This would be great for those who need it • I use this facility and it is a great help to me thank you • If the mobility hire was available in Bristol then I would be able to visit it but at the moment I can’t as I can walk no more than 10 Yards. It would be lovely to have a care free day about mobility • this would be very useful to me as I am on crutches and find it difficult to shop as I get exhausted • It will be very helpful as a lot of us can’t walk very far now • I am disabled and this would be an exciting opportunity for me as there is no room on the buses for scooters • I think that this is a good idea would be interested to know where these facilities would be housed • I would like to say that Bristol has so much of an interest that I enjoy coming there and so I look forward to coming there when my family bring me there in their car but without the hire of mobility scooters I wouldn’t be able to come and how disappointing that would be • could not get to the city centre to be able to use it • great idea I would happily go into town and look round if I had help • I think that this is wonderful proposal to fund this would be so helpful for the disabled • I always use the mobility scooter to visit the mall and it is invaluable to me the only way that I can get around as I have MS. • I agree to fund mobility aid as I use it to get around the central area on a regular basis and wouldn’t be able to access Cabot circus • that’s a good idea as more people could get on the bus but they still need the door to door transport to get there • this seems to be a good provision for disabled people offering more equal mobility • though I do not need much aid at the moment but I am aware of how long it takes getting around the big stores in the city due to poor legs and knees to be able to hire such • this sounds a good idea although seldom go to main shopping area except for articles that cannot be purchased locally I do shop by mail order sometimes • I think this is an excellent idea and something that I would be interested n after my knee and hip operation

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• this would be a great asset for people with mobility problems • I think that it’s a good idea many members like myself find it difficult some days to walk very far without having to stop to rest our legs or get out of breath easily I have a pacemaker so some days is harder than others • yes this is a good idea but there would have to be some sort of deposited paid on hire to benefit repairs and loss • I would assume that local people using the service have their own mobility aids but having bulky mobility aids would be useful for those who are not able to carry them on the transport themselves • personally I believe not enough has been done in the past to help this section of our community and I applaud any effort to make this suggestion concrete • it is nice to know about wheelchair access to clubs or hippodrome as I cannot climb stairs • I know there are motor scooters for hire in the galleries for a token fee could this be a link I have not tried them before but think there office is at the top of the galleries • being able to access mobility aid at a reasonable hire rate is essential as the majority of those using the current service are not amongst the city’s wealthy • would be happy to see this happen • these services are free at the mall Cribbs Causeway • I agree but wonder about availability would it need to be pre-booked • a necessity • this would be very helpful and could one bring their rolator • I agree it will help with quality of life • good idea otherwise someone would have to wheel them about • good so long as its free • it would be nice if it stopped outside the hire shop • a good idea although I got my bus pass • would be nice to have a mobility aid hire as I have limited mobility • this service really enhances my life and helps me to visit the city centre • the government needs to stop the cut backs in the world that is making the country and help people that need it • Glad that you are proposing to fund this service it was a great help when I visited Bristol last year without this I wouldn’t have been able to come

Charging

• if this is free maybe there should be a time limit of 4 hours should perhaps be chargeable • My daughter and I currently pay £1 per hour, up to £5 per day for mobility scooter hire, which is a fair and acceptable price as we only visit the city once a month. However, if a person uses scooters more regularly, maybe a loyalty scheme could be set up and they either pay half price or a donation to use the scooter. It is worth paying a bit to ensure the scooters are safely maintained. • every time I got to Broadmead I have to pay I wish there was no cost • modest charge ok but pensioners are limited to how much they can spend

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I do use this service and I would be isolated without it and need a lot more help without it. I would like it cheaper as I pay £140 per calendar month on it • all wheelchair user have a government allowance to pay for mobility there allowance should be used to hire at a cost • I think that it is a good idea perhaps a small fee for the funding would help with the hire • I think it is a very good idea it will be appreciated by a lot of people who can’t walk too far • it would be a good idea for some however I never go to Broadmead • this is good idea as more people are able to get out more • would be an asset for wheelchair users yes • this is a good idea getting around the city can be difficult

Disagreement

• not sure why my son has his own wheelchair and we take it everywhere with us so why can’t others • Why only scooter hire for the 'central shopping area'? Could scooter hire be made available to other parts of Bristol? Perhaps some kind of 'try before you buy' service? • Waste of money, most people have their own wheelchair/mobility scooters. Concentrate your efforts on community transport for elderly and vulnerable. • this is impractical because of the cost to the council • I would have thought that if people need mobility aid they would already have it • A nice idea but in these times the central shopping area businesses should be approached first this will quickly determine whether or not its viable • That should become self-funding demand driven and paid for by the users • some shops such as Tesco provide motorised vehicles for people to use in there store it may be a good idea to extend this service as I do not see this in shops in Broadmead • Wheelchairs in big shops would be great for those of us who cannot walk far • would suggest most people who need wheelchairs would have their own see no need for the extra expense • Would not benefit me • most people have their own mobility aid so I don’t think this is a good idea • most aids to support mobility are personal to the disability of the person and generic aids are only suitable for a few • why when CT users can take these on the vehicles with them • I think this proposal is unnecessary as the proposed new service is very well covered by existing business and service providers money can be saved here • I’m not sure about this locally most people needing these aids have their own which they take with them • Is this necessity? The red cross helps with this • surely if they need them they have got them • people with issues like this normally have their own aids anyway • as far as I am aware people with disabilities have their own mobility aids • not necessary for the council to fund as those in real need provide their own

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• they will only get pinched

Comments About Shopmobility

• Essential to keep "Shopmobilty" going. An absolute life line. • I currently hire mobility aids when shopping in the city centre, and find the system works very well, in that not only can you rent by the hour for shopping, but also for longer-term affordable rental. • Bristol shop mobility is amazing the staff and equipment are brilliant this is a huge benefit • ensure safe places for the wheelchairs to stop outside shops • I only come in to Bristol from Melksham on the odd occasion but when I do having the mobility hire is a god send otherwise it would be impossible for me • I love in Midsomer Norton and visit Bristol often with my family and Shopmobility is a lifeline as I am 81 years old, we also spend a lot of cash when we are in Bristol • I enjoy visiting Bristol to meet up with my son and to do some shopping as I have MS. I cannot walk very far and find shop mobility at Cabot circus very helpful as I can park my car and borrow a scooter at the same place • I would help if Shopmobility was more central I’m sure but so many people but so many people that see me in Broadmead say they don’t know where it is • mobility should be in a ground floor position in the centre unless you have the smallest scooter at the car park it is impossible to negotiate into the lifts the space is just too small and is difficult enough with a small scooter • mobility aid hire is most useful to me without it I would find it almost impossible to visit Bristol therefore in my situation this facility is great thank you for your consideration • I have mobility problems and the scooter hire is a god send to me and others when shopping outside the neighbourhood I live in Henbury and regularly use the shop mobility in Cabot circus I for one could be grateful if this service was maintained • I think all sorts of wheelchair hire should be able to hire for very small and very large people • Shopmobility already gets funding • I use Shopmobility please keep • unnecessary expense and service as Shopmobility are already in Cabot circus car park so why duplicate

Comment About Hours

• The current hours for mobility aid hire need to be maintained.

Comment About Access to the City Centre

• how will we get to this area as the Catt bus only has 1 place to stop in town disabled or the elderly can’t walk

Comment About Access to Transport Hub

• Ensuring the access to facilities is located near transport hubs bus train car park etc.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Extension to Other Areas

• I would like to see mobility aid extended to Bedminster the mobility is great for Broadmead I have used it many a time • could mobility aid be funded city wide people need access to these chairs not only when visiting Broadmead could mobility aid be aided to the main geographic split • It makes sense to offer wheelchairs and mobility aid services when people shop. By only covering the central shopping area you would be effectively closing off access to Cribbs Causeway for those who need the service there. How is this a good use of resources?

Comment About Escorts/Carers

• many people don’t have friends that can accompany them

Comment About Public Transport

• excellent idea another point to do with wheelchair users is that first bus needs to be consulted regarding wheelchair users as I was on a bus last week and there was 2 pushchairs on and they had to leave a wheelchair at the stop • this would be good for people who drive cars or get on a public transport bus but not us because we can take ours with us

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget?

Comment on Questionnaire

• I have found this questionnaire very hard to interpret exactly what you are asking thought it badly assembled and hard to reach an answer • this glossy brochure, I count, could have been a lot cheaper and then money could have been used to help people • use cheaper paper for the surveys and spend it on the transport

Comment About People

• I think it is down to the receptionist in my opinion I have always looked after people and all they need is a kind soft voice I haven’t rang since

Comment About Charging

• I think a lot of people will be put off by the £25.00 Fee I myself would prefer to pay £1.00 per Journey per week which would come to £52.00 a year • Maybe a small charge each time the service is used, such as dial-a-ride

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Bristol and south glos.to work together to provide a better service. I think that most people would be prepared to pay a small charge to keep the service running. • I suggest a daily charge of 1 or 2 pounds - MPs should agree • raise the price slightly I am sure many would be willing to pay for such a good service • concessionary pay 50p each way waive it for people who can’t afford it • I think most of us with concessionary passes would be able to pay for a fare as well as the membership fee 50p each way perhaps for people on low income perhaps this fee can be waived • just make it possible for members to make regular arrangements I would be happy to pay a membership fee plus £5.00 a month for fortnightly trips or £10.00 for weekly trips by direct debit if you wish • Why not charge a small fee for each journey. • people should pay £2 a week for each week that they travel and this would equate to £96 Per year

Importance of Service

• this is an important service although I have a car and bus pass for my son sometimes where bus stops is not always suitable so door to door is a lot easier for all concerned

Concerns About Cost Cutting

• Is this proposal to improve services or to cut costs?

Comment About Shopmobility

• The people currently running Shopmobility are volunteers I believe so maybe they could be paid a nominal wage which could be funded by the hire of the scooters.

Comment About Booking Service

• An obligatory booking service might be cheaper to run? • can’t think of anything apart from sorting out the booking side of things

Comment About CATT Service

• BCT should charge an annual fee just like the CATT bus

Comment About Medical Trips

• how much more are you going to take away from us as I won’t be able to go to the doctors

Comment About Keeping People Informed

• keep people informed prior to decision making

Comment About Bristol Dial-a-Ride

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I wish dial a ride was more flexible, I can’t use buses because of where I live and I wish they were more flexible on the weekend • I don’t know how I would live without the service but the journeys need to be more well planned so that more people are travelling on the bus • I have never seen more than 1 - 4 people on a dial a ride bus so maybe less for them and more for others • better organisations of route/destinations so that a few people do not get all the rips sometimes trips are duplicated e.g. individuals having a car each to return to the same area more sharing of the routes and better organisation allocation of trips • I use BDAR but have been let down by their booking system and have not been able to attend my meetings that I go to • I think a first come first served process would be better so that people would be able to guarantee the ride • I would like to return to position where I have regular bookings it is often difficult to get through to the booking office or fit into the timetable • A small number of eco cars to be used as part of dial a ride services to facilitate the vast majority of journeys when they are often only 1 or 2 passengers on board • BDAR in my experience is not run to the best of its ability taking only 2 or 3 passengers in a large vehicle • better organisation of vehicle usage in my experience of BDAR 90% of the time takes 2 or 3 people when it seats 8 plus • just keep the CT going we who are disabled need it to get out and about people like BDAR are a vital service for us • I only have a mobile and the last time I called dial a ride on their 0845 number it cost me over £7.00 please have an 0117 number so that it is cheaper • There are a huge amount of vulnerable people especially the elderly that are increasingly on the risk of becoming socially isolated the BDAR service means that they can meet friends, family and do personal activities. Group rides are good although for me a Sikh man who doesn’t speak English, I very much need this service to get about on a singular trip basis • although I have as BDAR card for many years I have only had a ride (to South mead)once and then the driver would not return to bring me home so I shall not be renewing my membership particularly now this is a payment • BDAR is a lifeline to many people although difficult to access I don’t mind the £24 a year but it’s a waste of money if they always are unavailable to take you • I only use dial a ride for shopping purposes and am more than willing to pay for the excellent service but I think that people who use it a lot in a week should have to pay more I find buses and taxis stressful and difficult • my only complaint is having to call you a week in advance for the transport • the Lib Dem. council has taken away our buses to Southmead hospital so the only way we get there is through BDAR • this 3 area suggestion is good for saving money as long as whoever is awarded contracts is trained to provide good care and companionship door to door to the most vulnerable at

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

present dial a ride are head and shoulders above any other CT providers care means much to members as the vehicle

Comment About Public Transport

• ask for a contribution from first bus they seem to make a good profit • Just keep the service going the first bus services in Knowle are disgusting • council must take control of all public transport within the city • I fully understand that with less funding from the central government plus the cap on the amount you can raise via the householders things are tight but please get a grip on first bus dominance in Bristol community buses need more than one stop in Broadmead and should be able to use the bus stops then the drivers would not have to use their ramps so often to allow people on and off the bus

Comment About Social Isolation

• Without transport I would not be able to go out • please ensure this transport keeps running as many of us elderly people would be housebound without it • I am blind and mobility challenged if relatives and friends are unable to ferry me about what other alternatives do I have apart from dial a ride will be stuck at home with no way of getting out not a good life I may as well be in a home or dead I can’t watch TV and i can’t really cook anything

Comment About Arts Budget

• yes cut the art budget and deal with the basics of community transport first

Comment About BCT

• If we could not use BCT then it would impact on the group to the point of closure. We are a charity and would not be able to afford private trips • the retention of BCT is essential for our club without it we would have great difficulty • I think that the proposal to continue to maintain the community transport even at its present level is a good idea for egg 17 of evergreens members would remain at home and not be able to come to the meetings with their friends

Comment About Targeting Areas in Need

• Ensure delivery of services is targeted to areas in need no use city wide unless there is a user demand make procurement easier for smaller groups • different areas of Bristol may have different needs suggest that local meetings may be held to establish this

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comment About Council Wastage

• Money has been wasted within the council thousands spent on installing an EYS database and training for it to only get rid of the city’s youth services

Comment About the Mede Sprint

• The elderly and disabled people of the Knowle area would never leave their home or speak to anyone if it wasn’t for the Mede sprint bus. The sprint bus brings life back to the elderly and disabled people of Knowle as it takes us on our trips and to the doctors and shopping and many other social activities

Comment About CATT Bus

• we have the Catt bus and it makes our lives a pleasure to live it supplements our needs in so many different ways as this is for some people the only way that they can get out and about if the Catt got cut it would cause the 600+ members a nightmare as when it comes to our age when transport is so important as its difficult to walk anywhere

Comment About LWCT

• more funding for CT in Bristol as we need more buses for LWCT • it would be great - if all areas could have the facilities of a community transport group such as LWCT

Comment About Hours

• would like to have more hours per day not just 10-2 to go to the Park and Ride at portway only gives me about an hour and half in town • would CT be available on a Sunday I would like to use it on a Sunday

Comment About Fundraising

• I would suggest doing fundraisers to get money for the service

Comment About Bus Lanes

• currently some providers i.e. accessible transport for you provides transport for disabled Bristol citizens if it uses its larger vehicle it counts as a bus and can be used in the bus lane without penalty but the smaller vehicle is charged for using this lane this is inconsistent and needs to be reviewed because that money could be used to fund transport

Comment About Vehicle Size and Questionnaire

• Use as many little buses as possible for all wards this is not a questionnaire!! Waste of money printing on thick paper!!

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comment About Concessionary Bus Passes

• I do no government are going to try and take all the disabled bus passes back if they do I will need to go on your transport

Request for Regular Routed Services

• regular routed services by community transport would make sense for users at the moment we find it difficult to get transport to suit times of clinic appointments because we have to try and arrange it without knowing

Comment About South Gloucestershire

• South Glouc seems to do it quite well

Comment About North Area

• suggest that Horfield gets included in Bristol north

Charities

• resources should be concentrated on charities not on providing services to council departments and schools

Comment About Disability Advice

• You need a panel of people who live in the city, use the services and are representatives of different disabilities to advise you because these proposals show a huge degree of ignorance of the issues. Good use of limited resources is possible but you need input beyond the quick form.

Some Additional Comments

• Not Easy to understand, Full of Jargon • I use Bristol community transport twice a week for shopping which is very good • I could not do without the CATT service • I use the Mede sprint service to get to the doctors and to get to clubs please don’t take this service away I would not be able to go out. They are very caring and helpful thanking you • I think there should be a membership payment • everyone appreciates the community transport that BCT provides as I and many others can’t reach the bus stop and may I say that it has changed my life dramatically as without it I would be housebound and I would like to say that Martyn the driver is the best • I have used the service since it started in Headley Park and use it twice a week to do my weekly shop and couldn’t do it without it • I am a disabled person I rely on the Mede bus to get me to my appointments • please keep the mobility going as it gives us our independence • I am 87 and widowed unable to walk and to get to the main bus stops I find that being able to go to Morrison’s door to door on a Tuesday makes my day

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I use the Mede sprint and it is vital for me to get to the doctors • I’m happy with the service would be quite willing to pay a fee for transport • BCT is a very good service to the elderly and disabled • I am a BCT user and it is reliable service and the staff are very helpful • I had the misfortune of rupturing my Achilles tendon which as an active person I found it difficult I was restricted in what I could do as my wife works which left me housebound and the Shopmobility was a god send and all the staff there where very friendly and helpful • I don’t know how we will cope without this bus as everyone at the Mede is very helpful and friendly so please please please save our bus thank you • My husband and I both use the Mede sprint which is so important to us both as we would be lost without it my husband is disabled due to his stroke and uses a wheel chairs I really don’t know how we would manage without the Mede sprint it is a lifeline for us as we are both in our 80s • I was using the taxi sharing scheme for medical as I cannot do this I am using CT to get there as it would cost £5 one way and what would people do if they could not afford it • The steps at dial a ride are too steep and help from drivers is invaluable it would be easier to use buses although I can’t carry much if the pavement at bus stops where raised there are no bus stops near our sheltered accommodation I have to use taxis but sometimes i have no money • flexible • I Find the BDAR wonderful - have most of my shopping delivered but it enables me to buy a few little treats occasionally and your drivers are all very id I have to have my blood sample taken every month and also regular injections you take me to the surgery occasionally i cannot use a wheelchair or mobility aid just the 2 hospital sticks. • please keep dial a ride going as it is my only way of getting out • There are lots of places that I would like to visit like the seaside and cities of interest • the taxi sharing service in St Annes/ Brislington which has recently ended was very useful as it is difficult to get a place on the bus • on these journeys you make friends where you might not make friends elsewhere • having spent virtually 10 years housebound before BDAR was invented I am passionate that door to door transport with caring trained drivers who understand the situation to continue we value it so strongly because without it isolation and social isolation beckon • BDAR were very unhelpful as they were never available to take me also there booking system was a shambles • prevents people visiting other areas of city ghettoization • cancel this scheme • join with the bus company and have a better scheme • I object to this proposal strongly as to go to my groups I have to travel outside the boundaries

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses to the Questionnaire from Relatives and Friends of Community Transport Service Users

25 Responses Returned

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

Agreement

• 4 people fully agreed that disabled and elderly people should be eligible to Council funded community transport services if they find it difficult or impossible to use public transport and they have no access to a car. • I would also like it to be available to elderly and disabled people to enable them to have social trips together to help combat loneliness and isolation e.g. visit to a lunch club or the cinema • my husband had no choice and had to use community transport, we found this service such a wonderful thing to have because the opportunity to take him out for a couple of hours was such a pleasure for him and me also being offered a disabled car was a great help for us to get to and from doctors’ appointments unfortunately my husband passed away via cancer and I say yes for everyone in need. • any aged disabled people • not possible for me to walk to my nearest bus stop with walking and breathing problems keep door to door community transport • I thought the current scheme worked my mother uses it because she fits into this category • my mum who is in poor health cannot walk from the bus stop to bus stop and certainly cannot stand for half an hour on a shelter less bus stop waiting for a filthy over crowded bus with no help getting on and off a service such as dial a ride is vital for people like her and many others in wheelchairs • my husband had a massive stroke and can no longer drive so we rely on community transport please make it available for those who need it

Comments About Access to a Car

• I do not agree with this proposal...my mother is a frequent user of Mede Sprint she has no access to a car and cannot use buses. My aunty who is aged 76 has access to a car however she accompanies my mother to provide physical and emotional support ...so if she were stopped using it ...it would also mean my mother would not be able to use it. • the phrase no access to a car suggests that there is no car in the household I can think of situations where perhaps the carer has a car but needs to use it for some other purpose and

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

so the person in need still requires other transport is this a case where they would be excluded

Disagreement

• This should be a service for registered disabled people only where evidence is provided of the disability. Anybody could say 'I find it difficult' otherwise. • One main group only too. many groups receiving funding

Request to Be Able to Use a Taxi At No Cost or at Reduced Cost

• As community transport cannot always be available for when you want it, could those eligible be able to use a taxi as an alternative either at no cost (if possible) or at a much reduced rate (depending on entitlement to pension credit etc.)?

Comment That Anyone in Community Should Be Able to Use Service

• I use the Mede Sprint....I think this service should be made available to ANYONE who wants to use it. First bus fares are ridiculous...simple as that. As a carer for my mother and having health problems myself but not being pension age, this bus service has been a godsend to me. It’s a community bus service therefore any of the community should be able to use not just elderly or infirm.

Comment About Charging

• Surely anyone one with bus pass or escort should be able to even if contribute say pound each trip.

Comment About Children and Parent with Post Natal Depression

• I have a 12 year old autistic son who is scared to go out as he has been bullied and is frightened of children as a result my 8 year old son doesn’t go out either. I am unable to drive and have had post natal depressions where I have been trying for 12 years to get out of the house. My husband is at work all the time so he’s not around to help me in the holidays. I also have no family help

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

Comment About Day Trips Outside the Area

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Do not understand the proposal...does this mean that day trips outside the Bristol area would be stopped?? If so I would strenuously object!!

Comment About Public Bus Service

• Things have moved on now - disabled and elderly people get free bus passes now. This service was introduced before this was the case. Cut spending and increase accessibility for all by making the bus operators provide accessible vehicles.

Concerns About Travel Outside the Area

• Residents of Ash Lea Court (Hanover Housing extra care development) off Monks Park Avenue, Horfield (East Bristol) regularly use Dial a Ride to take them once a week to Tesco at Golden Hill (North Bristol). Your proposed 'areas' suggest that this would not be an option for them based on your new proposals! • This seems very constrained and would prevent cross-city travel. I suggest that some system is devised so that users can easily transfer from transport in one area to that in another so they can move across the city. • Not a good idea where community projects overlap boundaries • as I live in the green area will I have access to Cribs Causeway as this is a major shopping area and I need to know what shops are in each area • if this goes ahead this means I would no longer be able to access any of my activities with the "Bristol autism project" which provides holiday activities within Bristol for children aged between 5 -19 years old and siblings for families with autistic children I live in the St George area and most of my activities are in the Hengrove area not only would we be unable to get out we also wouldn’t be able to go to our appointments at Frenchay and Southmead hospitals

Agreement

• this proposal is a good way of helping more people in different areas • it would suit me as I would still remain getting around for the doctors’ appointments • agree • my mother uses it once a week so this new suggestion would affect her • this seems a fair distribution of resources • personally the 3 area plan is good thinking and I cannot see why this would be a problem • quite happy with short journeys • Makes Sense • I have to be with my husband 24/7, a trip to a precinct or similar would be valuable and appreciated and I hope this will be soon possible • A tough one but can’t see any alternatives within the council budgets constraints. Organisations should further develop so they can provide these services themselves.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would meant that …activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

Comment About Maintaining All Current Services

• All of these provisions should be maintained

Comment on Focusing on Registered Disabled People

• Focus the service where it's needed on registered disabled people. You need a clear criteria not wishy washy 'vulnerable people' - what does that mean anyway? It should not be for sports clubs or group outings - able bodied people can make other arrangements or use public transport.

Comment About Charging

• The Mede Sprint uses the bus passes for the elderly...I buy a book of tickets and am more than happy to do so. They also do trips for meals...we all pay for that and the money goes into the bus service. I hope it remains the same but I daresay if the elderly were asked to pay a pound to get somewhere they really would not mind too much. Funding is essential for our little service....it’s a brilliant local service, door to door too.

Comment About Travel to Day Centres

• I am extremely concerned that these proposals will not allow for transport to day centres which are a vital lifeline for isolated people. If it is made more difficult for vulnerable people to get out of their homes and interact with others they may stop doing it because they cannot deal with the resulting travel barriers.

Comment About Transport for Housebound

• this is a mistake community transport for housebound must be a priority for the council

Comment About Travel to Medical Appointments

• I think it is very important that clients can use CT for visits to medical appointments and group activities my sister is mentally ill and uses the Mede sprint weekly to go to here therapy group which is a lifeline it is her only time out independently each week also occasionally having the trip to the Knowles health clinic

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• an appointment at Frenchay from Lawrence Weston involves 4 buses so I think it is important that transport is available for people that would find this difficult

Comment About Funding Over 3-5 Years

• in theory core funding over 3 - 5 years is a good idea but it proposes that organisations will be successful in raising the funds to provide the services

Comment About Transport for Autistic Children

• I desperately need the Bristol autism project to provide transport I would be happy to pay something towards the cost I have spent the last 12 years at home with my 2 boys being unable to go out for the 6 weeks of the summer holiday due to my sons autism on the odd occasions i have used DAR to get to an activity it has been a lifeline.

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

Agreement

• this service is vital for anyone with walking disabilities and it allows us to shop in the central area like any abled body person • 2 people indicated this was a good idea with no further comment. • The ability to hire a wheelchair or mobility scooter in Broadmead is definitely a positive thing; my mother has a mobility scooter to get around but is unable to get to Broadmead with it. However, stores/retailers must do much more to make their stores easier to get around - they still do not/will not understand that they need to make the store more user friendly for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. • Great idea. My mother would love to shop in town but cannot walk too far before she is in great pain. To be able to use a wheelchair for her to look around just by going into a 'shop' and hiring one for an hour or two would be ideal. • The ability to get out and about is fundamentally important not only for the need for shopping, but also in terms of self-esteem & good mental health. I wholeheartedly support the council in delivering sufficient funding for the 'Shopmobility' scheme to continue in the city centre. • this proposal is so important for people to get out and about after my daughter my husband was able to go to Cabot circus • is this going to stop people travelling in their chairs and will this allow more people on the buses • Brilliant idea as my husband is becoming more and more immobile and this would help greatly

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comment About the Location of Shopmobility

• The location of the current mobility 'shop' in the basement of the Cabot Circus car park is totally inappropriate. Anyone arriving in Broadmead or the Galleries from North Bristol is forced to walk all of that way to access a wheel chair. The current shop in the galleries is closed at the week when most people want to use it!

Comment

• Is there really a need?

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget?

• Yes - registered disabled people only - a clear criterion. Vulnerable people and people who find it difficult - these self-definitions / social definitions are open to abuse and cost overrun. • Community transport (Dial a ride) is vital to my mother's independence who uses it regularly to get to the supermarket, eye hospital, Broadmead, etc. • I do believe community bus services are the way to go....First have had the monopoly on our city for far too long....no one is challenging them and they have continually put their fare prices up. We are one of the most expensive bus services around...the buses are not always on time either. The community bus service is brilliant....they are door to door and the drivers are kind, polite and so helpful. Encouragement is needed to keep these services running....budget should include funds for them every year and encourage more to spring up in all areas. • After appropriate checking procedures, volunteers could be offered expenses to transport people in their own (the volunteers) vehicles. • I would propose for money to be spent on community transport • All charities for the elderly and disabled need to provide transport so that we can properly access the services available in Bristol.

Additional Comments

• I have put relative of a user but i would use the transport on my own anyway. My mother and i both use the Mede sprint whenever we want to get out. Without it my mum wouldn’t go anywhere as hanging around for buses is not an option for her. • my mum uses the service that dial a ride provide as she has dementia and she finds the service invaluable and we will pay the £24 • mother uses CT and my disabled adult son and myself have used it in the past we are intending to start using it again • I’m the daughter of a user these views are mainly mine not my mums

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses to the Questionnaire from Provider’s Staff

Five Responses Returned

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

1. Concerns About Cost of Group Hire. As a user of many community transport organisations and in this case specifically if Bristol Community Transport any adjustment to funding is likely to have an impact on us the end user BCT is already the most expensive community transport provider we use across several counties locally. Please don’t move the further changes that cause the end user to pay more. We are a charity and can’t afford it.

2. Concerns About Cost of Administration of Eligibility Where do you draw a line and who makes the decision on who is eligible. Surely this can cause problems and cost extra money

3. Request for Council to Help RSVP West Set Up Volunteer Driver Schemes For severely disabled people and very sick people such professional transport is the only possibility. For others with some mobility issues the voluntary drivers scheme run by the RSVP West are a cheap alternative. Some Bristol surgeries benefit from such schemes. The council could help RSVP West to set up more

4. Need for Tighter Definition of Eligibility Public transport is not an option for some people in wheelchairs, cannot depend on buses to take you directly & on time. Many people cannot walk to the bus stop or back again, BCT community bus is our only option it does door to door & driver helps with shopping. Getting a group of children from A to B is impossible on public transport it poses safeguarding issues staff ratio/per child issues not direct BCT community buses collect door to door. The quotation above will need to be defined in more detail; it evokes implications of discrimination/segregation equalities issues, in particular for BME groups & disabled groups.

5. Concerns About Equal Opportunities Policy Equality & access to services should be open for all; otherwise you will be in breach of your own equal opportunities policy. Many of the most vulnerable in our society suffer because of unequal funding streams, access to services.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

1. Concerns That Regular Group Bookings Will Have to Cease If you do this our regular bookings will have to stop then how would we provide a service to our older more vulnerable clients?

2. Agreement That Area Need to Be Reviewed The present areas for community transport certainly need reviewing. A bus can now pass disabled people living on route to a supermarket but because the boundaries are viable to pick them up from their homes which is definitely the best use of resources

3. Concerns About Transport to Hospitals Surgeries use hospitals in various parts of the city not only the nearest ones. I don’t see the use of boundaries if volunteers are used they don’t want to run a scheme in a very large area unless they would be semi-professionals I run a scheme with over 50ies voluntary drivers for the Westbury on Trym surgeries we have 12 drivers and they each transport 2 people a week

4. Concerns About Restricting Travel Options Those who are socially isolated are already at a disadvantage, so restricting their travel options adds to the isolation & loneliness, not being able to visit family or friends, not enjoying a trip out with peers and being able to participate in community activities. Could become a postcode lottery if different providers win different areas charging different prices. Concerns about getting through to book a journey, Community co-ordinator I need to collect people from all over the city to get to the Park Centre does this mean I would need to pay for 3 different buses if BCT does not operate all 3 areas this will be too expensive for us. One central transport Hub would be ideal integrating both public and community transport.

5. Possible But Needs Further Thought The above will be possible but more thought would need to go into who & how this could be provided, it may end up costing more than the current budget available if the proposal is not carefully thought through.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would meant that …activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

1. Not answered

2. Difficulties Understanding Question This question does not seem to make sense as group hire do not really cost money as passengers pay and drivers are volunteers so what money can be saved the question is not understood by most people including people involved in community transport

3. Request to Contact RSVP West See previous replies your proposals could run parallel to the small scale ones it would be useful if you could contact the RSVP West organisations

4. Concerns About Restricting Choice and Reducing Efficiency Community buses like those BCT provide are the most efficient and cost effective, they consult with people on where they want to go and tailor the transport to meet the needs of the communities city-wide rather than a rigid agenda that does not meet anyone need. All CT operators transport the same people in the main, clients should have a choice on who they feel best meets their needs for transport provision, should not be forced to use one particular provider if the service is not effective and responsive to their individual need.

5. Concerns About Increasing Social Isolation Access for all to community transport, many vulnerable groups will become more vulnerable if transport is taken away. Transport is one of the biggest issues this city faces with an inadequate public transport infrastructure many will face tremendous social isolation - not able to access services that they need, the burden will then fall on other city council departments to pick up the tab, which will be false economy in the longer term

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

1. Not answered

2. Good idea

3. Is this complementary to current to present hire places?

4. Agree this is an essential service for those with restricted mobility

5. Again Bristol is an inaccessible city for those who have mobility problems, this service should be funded to allow access to some form of enjoyment when they visit our city shopping area cinema etc...

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget?

1. Look at Bath community transport and see how they provide a reasonable cost service which cannot be faulted. Take some guidance from places where it works well

2. Restrictions on where pickups can be made. Less time wasting by council officials which wastes money. More action less meetings

3. See above replies

4. Invest in a bona fide credible social enterprise who reinvest back into the communities they serve, and can provide proof that they are a social enterprise, BCC should ask for written evidence as part of the procurement process.

5. Think carefully before you decide, look at the best value for money and the social impact of any chosen supplier. Those that reinvest back into the communities they serve should be considered. Would like to see how the council has a mechanism for measuring supplier social impact, as many promote themselves as social enterprises but are not in the true sense of the word. I would like to see more scrutiny on this aspect.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses to Questionnaire from Health/Social Care Professionals

15 Responses Returned

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

• 4 people indicated they agreed with no further comment • What about people who need support getting on & off transport. Will support be available? • No access to a car - should not include family support maintaining their independence is very important and community transport enables them to continue accessing social situations independently without waiting for family to pick them up. • city bus not possible no car access • this service is essential for isolated individuals to maintain contact and independence • this is a good premise but there does need to be clarification of what constitutes finding it difficult to access public transport e.g. people who can use it some days but can’t others and people who lack confidence • if First bus was held to account by council officers within current legislation and a transport authority was set up with further powers people would find it less difficult to use public transport and could enjoy a universal cheap integrated public transport system

2. How Should Services be Delivered? We are proposing that the city will be split into 3 areas. Services would be constrained within these area boundaries but would all include journeys to the city centre. This would focus on local journeys and would offer more journeys per passenger than if services were provided on an unconstrained citywide basis.

1. Concerns About Access to Clinics/Services in Other Areas • This is fine for shopping, city centre etc. but potentially denies people access to clinic services and activities/clubs for the elderly and disabled that are only held in one part of the city e.g. stroke groups, dementia group, visiting ill partners at Southmead or Frenchay. • What if you wanted to go to Fishponds, but you lived in Bedminster? If one area has certain resources, these will be cut off to the wider city. Is it equitable? • How will you ensure that if people need to use two services - when they need to travel outside of their 'zone' - they are safe between services?

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• This seems crazy as it discourages travel from one part of Bristol to another. It will put a burden on city centre travel as all transport has to go into and out of the city centre this is a big problem with Bristol’s buses as it is that you can’t get around the city you always have to go into and then back out of the city centre it’s a waste of time and limits peoples freedom please don’t do this • we support people across the city and we encourage them to visit sites and communities city wide there will often be events and social activities outside their local areas and yet not in the city centre • dreadful in so far as fishponds is not covered many of our visitors come from surrounding areas who would not go back to isolation if this service was removed for them Bristol north is a huge area so why not extend the other area

2. Agreement • Yes, the service should be evenly geographically spread & available across the city. • 3 area split seems a good thing • Much more focused and better for people in those areas • Appears to be a good Idea but need to be flexible when crossing boundaries • agree with the above • a very good proposal suitable for quite a lot of purpose

3. Concerns About Young Adults • I use community transport in Bristol to help support young adults with a renal condition we go on a residential every year and we would not be able to get there without the transport

4. Concerns About Confirming Social and Economic Divisions in the City • These 3 areas further confirm the social and economic divisions in the city and the public transport systems poverty of across town and circular routes rather than perpendicular radical routes at present try getting from Ashley Down to Clifton without going into the city centre and back out again.

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would meant that …activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Concerns About Not Funding Medical Appointments & Travel to Day Care

• Group hire & day care is fair enough We already have major problems locally with patients denied specialist healthcare due to travel, more support needs to be given with this whether this is working with local charities, NHS & volunteers to develop minibus or car options • How will people get to Day Care? How will it be funded? • Attendance at medical appointments should take priority over providing services for shopping, leisure & social activities. Enjoying a quality of life should extend from keeping as healthy as possible in the 1st place by attending presumably preventative/wellbeing appointments as well as other medical appointments. • Will the NHS pick up the cost of transport to medical appointments? This is very important and especially so for those far from a hospital or needing specialist attention that can only be delivered by a hospital far away - e.g. Southmead hospital for someone living in South Bristol. • so how do they get to their medical appointments if they are on a limited budget perhaps users should be means tested • as long as trips to medical appointments were covered before drawing the existing facility then yes I agree with the above • Trips to medical appointments and transport for day care services should receive high priority. They should be included • so how do they get to their medical appointments if they are on a limited budget perhaps users should be means tested • as long as trips to medical appointments were covered before drawing the existing facility then yes I agree with the above

Concerns About Not Funding Group Hire

• I work in a sheltered housing scheme and know how valuable it is for some residents to attend lunch clubs etc. One lady has just returned to using this service and has been extremely isolated before this • What about groups?

Comments About Charging

• I don’t think that anyone would mind paying a small fee for those trips especially to the doctors • Much of the community transport used is made possible by the use of volunteers and additional group hire work. Charging for transport to day centres would mean that many couldn’t use the service

Agreement

• Good • in the present climate this seems like the correct option to keep the transport on-going

Disagreement

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• No!! Not all community organisation can afford this

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

Agreement

7 comments in agreement with proposal, one suggesting most people would accept paying a fee for this

Comments That Shops Should Fund This

• Why isn't the shopping centre providing this in order to meet accessibility requirements? BCC should work with businesses to help them to provide this sort of thing - it wouldn't be costly for them, would be good 'PR' and could help them meet their CSR. Has this been properly investigated? • this should be backed by the shops as part of their commitment to the community • I feel that the local profit making shops should be providing this proposal

Concerns About Cost

• Not sure how many people this would benefit in relation to cost versus services to number of people

Comment About Extending to Other Areas

• It would be good if this were possible in other areas so that people could attend social events elsewhere too

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget? • 'Demand responsive' door to door will not allow a Travel Plan or minimise environmental impacts of travel around the city. BCC & each provider needs to draw up a clear list of eligibility & routes/timetable of vehicle movements around the city, otherwise a lot of resources & time will be spent ineffectively. • I'm sure people would be happy to pay a contribution to trips made - rather than no service at all • Most needed for GP visits • if community transport was stopped it would have severally handicap many people lives as this is probably the only chance that they get to go out there are some people who use it when they have other transport available

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses to the Questionnaire from Interested Members of the Public

28 Responses Returned

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

Comments About Access to a Car

• Access to a car should be changed to 'unable to drive because your son could have a car but be unwilling or unable to drive • it should be open for OAPs and disabled people regardless to whether or not they have other access to transport • a person may have access to a car but may not be able to always access it, so it depends on how you plan to implement this rule • I am 70's, I don’t have a car but at the moment I am lucky to have an elderly neighbour who takes me shopping however if the neighbour wasn’t able to do it I would rely on community transport as public transport in my area doesn’t take me to my nearest shopping area

Comments About Bus Passes

• we have a bus pass but we are unable to rely on it to get to the doctors on time for an appointment • current bus passes are a wasted as they can travel across Bristol cause they can and I think that stricter rules should be brought in • the senior needs to get to the hospitals because it takes 3 buses • Does impossible cover the current bus fares as if you are not then it should do. Not all users are in possession of English bus pass but are pensioners etc.

Agreement

• 3 people agreed with the above proposal with no further comment • this should have been the basis since day 1 and is long over due • Only people who find it impossible to use public transport should be allowed to use the service.

Comment About Barriers to Public Transport

• It is important to remember that barriers to public transport are many: cost, ability, physical and mental health. Just because there may be a 'suitable' service nearby doesn’t make it accessible. Officers need to look at real areas not just maps to see how inaccessible chosen routes often are.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comment About Medical Problems

• anyone with medical problems

Comment About Taxis

• I think that the money should be spent on local taxi runs to the hospital and doctors BDAR buses are always empty they should have a look how often CT buses are used

Comment About Travel to Hospital

• They should be provided for those who are travelling to/from Hospitals but who cannot afford a car. There is no need to provide them for any other purpose.

Comment About Public Transport

• If the public transport system was more effectively integrated, there would be less need for spending to cater for deficiencies. Prime need is for a common transport hub where local bus services, long-distance coaches, trains, taxis (perhaps also water taxis) and pick-up or drop-off private vehicles can conveniently interface on one site, or failing that on more than one site but linked with a transit system suitable for the elderly with luggage.

Comment About Assessment

• Will need definition of difficult, especially with people with disabilities that do not affect them the same amount all the time - how will these be assessed?

Comment About Cost

• If you make restrictions on this basis, and thus prevent other possible users then the cost per traveller is surely going to rise.

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

Concerns About Travelling Between Areas

• The boundaries should be flexible also travel to all hospitals should be permitted • Not good because all the people would have to catch at least 3 buses • my circumstances are as above I am concerned about the services being constrained within area boundaries because my nearest shopping area are in either Bishopston or Henleaze and I live in Horfield • buses should overlap the boundaries to just the hospitals

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Would there be any flexibility in allowing people to travel outside of their boundaries e.g. if somebody needs to travel from South Bristol to Southmead Hospital etc. • Happy with this, as long as each area includes a Hospital. • I am concerned that we shouldn’t duplicate services. I think that the pickup points can be contained within these boundaries but we shouldn’t trap people to these-it could reinforce the divides that are in Bristol already. Let’s make sure people can feel part of the whole City. • I would envisage that a number of persons would be restricted in visiting friends or families in other areas. I would consider it appropriate to have connecting links to other areas on at least a limited number of days of the year.

Comment About Hours of Operation

• the community should be able to use the transport 7 days a week as I feel this is not on • daily and regular services

Agreement

• I absolutely agree with the above distinction • 5 people agreed with no further comment

Concerns About the North Area

• I think the north area is too big it should be 4 areas as there are a high volume of people using that area

Comment About Defining Area By A Distance From Home

• It may make more sense to have an area defined by the location of the person being supplied transport - a distance from where they live rather than trying to shoehorn it into an area system. Otherwise someone living in the south of Lawrence Hill can go to Horfield but not Windmill Hill - which hardly works to encourage local journeys. However I do understand that this could be harder to administrate.

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would meant that …activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• take over first group and run your own service • I don’t think that the council should cut services I think they should cut high paid members wages. • 6 people agreed with no further comment • all community services • I think the group hire service is a good idea to bring in revenue however I think it is sad that you are again reducing funding for the most vulnerable • do not really understand this one if you need other organisations to take on your role it is unlikely to happen • I agree that to meet the needs of individual residents should be key. • Consider service based on a limited number of minibuses used around the city for certain periods on the 'car club' model. • Instead of free bus passes for the elderly why not give those that cannot use buses a few taxi vouchers each month to use instead?

Comments About Medical Trips

• agree that group hire should not be subsidised but think that hospital trips should • shouldn’t hospital appointments be considered a higher priority than leisure • the hospital surgeries should use their own vehicles to get there patients into them • Certainly Medical appointments increase with old age and transport and timing are important. If you ask hospitals for transport you might be ages waiting • Trips to medical appointments should be provided for before leisure and social trips. Services should be means tested. People should be supported to do their shopping online with these people being prioritised for second hand computers through the council scheme, and training to use them. Some supermarkets provide free delivery at certain times of the day. • There is no need to provide this service, except for hospital goers. • Hard to comment without seeing numbers using these different aspects of the service at the moment. However I would think that trips to medical appointments should be included, if the service is demand responsive then this should not be any more difficult to deliver than door-to-door shopping transport.

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

Positive

• 6 people agreed with no further comment

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• This is a fantastic scheme that helps disabled people like my mother have her freedom when we are out shopping instead of being stuck in a manual wheelchair. The funding is important to keep this going. If this was not funded it would end freedom to those people that cannot walk around like abled body to enjoy their shopping trips or just the freedom to get out and about without a carer/family being with them. • good proposal but will it be a charge for use them or it free • This is an important service as I can get to car parks but then need help in the pedestrian area. I would be happy to pay for this service. • there good as without them I am stuck indoors without them

Negative

• it seems to me what people will take their own equipment to town I don’t think there is need for this service • not in favour • I don't think this is necessary. • No need to provide this. • Hard to comment without knowing the demand for this service and the cost. Also who will be able to hire these, how will need be assessed? • access might add movement problems shopping in the central area

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget?

• I believe that the current voluntary section groups should be supported and be encouraged to be more self-supporting • you should run your own services for everybody not just the ones in need • community transport is vital as it helps the old and disabled get out therefore I recommend all the above proposal • I would like to see land training from union street through Cabot circus for those walking difficulties and small children who have to use public transport • I am not clever enough to help here sorry • Scrap it. • Try to maximise ferry service to standard buses and trains. • There is a need to address the Bus Pass; Money is being wasted on single journeys whereas it could be even cheaper to provide a day ticket at the full commercial rate. Passengers with companion entitlement often travel alone and therefore do not really need it. These savings could be used for Community Buses. As a former bus driver, myself and colleagues considered there to be abuse of the system.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Responses to the questionnaire from people indicating ‘Other’

28 Responses Returned (including 10 disabled people/users, 8 voluntary organisation staff, a property manager, City centre shop manager, 3 people interested in using CT, a transport consultant, a representative of the Disability Equality Forum, and 3 who did not specify)

1. Who should be eligible to use community transport services?

Agreement

• 8 people agreed with the proposal with no further comment • Yes, I agree with this wider self-definition rather than having specific disability groups which is in line with the Council's commitment to the social model of disability. There is an issue about older people with mobility problems finding it difficult to get to a bus stop let alone wait, sometimes in the cold weather, for a bus to arrive.

Comments On Public Bus Services and Their Cost

• as well as the obviously eligible please can you fight for the right of people on the dole or income support allowance to use this public transport free it costs £7 ish return to get from my village to Bristol so how can they possibly get to job centres or interviews • Elderly and disabled people should have the right to use community transport services many elderly and disabled people cannot access ordinary transport like buses because buses are expensive if you are middle aged under 60 without a bus pass, young but disabled and working, buses are too expensive also they are overcrowded and the selfish attitude of the other passengers of buses towards people who are less able then themselves when it comes to offering elderly or disabled people a seat if they are having difficulty when they are getting on the bus, instead of offering their seat they have as I have found as a disabled person have to ask them if they would mind vacating the front seats on the bus also people with pushchairs or buggies seem to think the area at the front of the bus is just for them when in fact if somebody got on the bus in a wheelchair they would have to move out and fold up their buggy and put it in the luggage rack to allow the wheelchair to get on the bus as I have witnessed many times, but what disgusts me is what the people with pushchairs say when they have to make room for a person in a wheelchair. People should remember that the Equality Act of 2010 states that public transport operators have to make their transport accessible to everybody both disabled and able bodied people.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Comment on Lawrence Weston Community Transport

• we use LWCT all the hire to get people to projects and performances they have no access to public transport due to financial and poor service

Comment About Lunch Clubs

• I represent Fishponds Baptist church lunch club a large number of our members would be unable to take advantage of our provision without the help of dial a ride not only would their nutrition suffer but they would also lose the art of essential fellowship with other users some are not able to get out without provision

Comment About Medical Trips

• Bristol Disability Equality Forum (DEF) is concerned that if Disabled people are not able to use community transport for a medical appointment, it will put more demand on the health service for transport. Also, Disabled people will have to wait around more for any transport. There has been no equality impact assessment on how it will affect Disabled people’s lives. Disabled people might have a car, but with cutbacks of Direct Payments they might not have a driver to drive the car. Also, Disabled people who may not be eligible for the new PIP may not be able to afford the service.

Comment About Access to a Car

• Everyone should be able to use the Shopmobility services at Cabot Circus and The Galleries irrespective of whether they have access to a car. Once in the shopping area, it is important that people are able to get around if they are unable to walk far. • This needs to be a bit more sophisticated. For example a person may have access to a car, but unable to drive, or only have someone available to drive them at certain times. Also, don't restrict the service to individuals. People using group hire for minibuses are equally vulnerable and in need of the service. • Remove 'and they have no access to a car'. Community transport is unlikely to fulfil all the transport needs of an individual and a car will still be needed as a fall-back and for transporting totally infirm relations etc.

Comment About Group Transport

• Where groups are involved in activities, hopefully they will all be able to use the transport even if some individuals are more mobile.

Comment About Hours of Operation

• Yes and it needs to be available from early in the morning to late at night so disabled and older people can use it to get to work and back home and use it to be able to do other things as well. It would also mean that people who have a disabled bus pass and work full time instead of having to pay for a bus fare if they start work before 09:00 would then not have to

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

pay for their journeys into work as well as not paying for their journey to get home from work.

Other

• You need to make sure that all areas of the city have equal access to all forms of transport. • Think you cover all at the moment. However think this is more important than providing taxis for the single mothers, children to school, etc. They need to get more exercise so walking should be encouraged. • for many it’s the only solution about getting out which is essential for good all round health would there be any check on eligibility or will it be hogged by people who could use PT what about people who are temporarily demobilised • how will this be decided? Will you assess people? Community Transport should be much more than just about moving people with mobility issues.

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

Comment About Medical Trips

• this won’t work because to get to the hospital you have to live in that area maybe a charge of 25p an extra mile outside the boundaries would help • All eligible people should be able to use the service to get to hospital appointments now that Frenchay is closing I would need to go to Southmead in a different area there must be a provision for this either taxi or community transport I cannot walk far so cannot just be dropped in a central car park • this seems ok as it includes a hospital in our area • Where is the data about where people want/need to go such as hospital etc? Routes should be about need

Concerns About Travel Outside the Area

• Does this mean that the 3 services would never cross the boundaries except to go to the city centre we use BCT for outings for our groups this would be impossible as we have to cross the boundary does this mean that for us the service would be unavailable a commercial alternative would be very costly • I do not agree with the proposal of the city being spilt into three areas, elderly and disabled people should be able to travel throughout the Bristol area for example they could be the other side of the city but need an hospital appointment for example to Southmead Hospital. People should not be restricted to their local area; this is very rigid and will not be fair for

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

anyone. There are many times for many reasons people need to travel outside of their local areas and to just restrict to local areas is wrong. I feel this proposal is basically not treating elderly and disabled people in a civilised manner and we cannot call ourselves a civilised society if we cannot look after our elderly and disabled people. I am speaking from personal experience, I am a disabled lady with Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis and Chronic Asthma, I do work full time but I find it incredibly difficult to get around the city of Bristol. • How have these areas been defined? Have service users been involved in its development. Could this be seen as discriminatory? For non-disabled people they are free to travel on "public" transport wherever they choose to go, community transport organisations, specifically Dial a Ride services were set up nationally to address this issue for disabled people who should also have similar choices about their travel needs. With friends and families no longer living close to each other geographically as they used to do it is important that everyone has the freedom to make choices about who they visit and when, it should not be assumed that older and disabled people should not also have a life and may wish/ need to get out of their own homes to visit others. This links in with two of the key Health and Wellbeing strategies for the Council in terms of maintaining independence and tackling loneliness and isolation. Transport policies cannot be seen in isolation from the rest of the Council's work. • The DEF is very concerned about how narrow the boundaries are and how they could take away the choice of Disabled people. Public transport is still not accessible enough for many Disabled people and the only way they are not trapped in their own homes is by way of being able to access community transport. It’s not fair for Disabled people to be restricted to one boundary area only, and the proposals are creating more and more barriers for Disabled people at a time when there are increasing cutbacks. • This underlines why your earlier restriction on access to a car is totally unworkable and harsh. Someone in Southmead would have to travel into the centre and then get community transport to go to Horfield, say. • Surely the journeys that present most challenges to people with either physical or learning difficulties are those that take them out of their immediate area. What happens if someone/a group needs to go from North to South Bristol? • I find this proposal too restricting, we us BCT to transport people to a lunch club and some of them are just on or over the border, or maybe just over the boarder suggested. I therefore may not be eligible. Also we have 1 or 2 outings every year to places like the zoo that would be outside the designated areas. at least some flexibility would be needed • it should be possible to get cross boundary journeys on occasion where there is a good case if family are across 2 zones

Positive Comments

• LWCT works as it is local it understands the community it works in • emphasis on local journeys a good me • 2 people agreed without further comment • This would appear to make sense • This seems sensible.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

Concerns About Group Hire

• You need to consider how group hire will work in this situation.

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

We are proposing to focus on ‘demand responsive’ door-to-door transport for shopping, leisure and social activities…The intention is to fund this element as a basis for community transport organisations to deliver other services such as group vehicle hire. This would meant that …activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would not be funded directly from the council’s community transport budget. The strategy is to provide a core amount of funding over three to five years that could allow organisations to further develop so they could provide these services themselves.

Comments About Travel to Day Care

• The council should fund day care but not the social activities. Those under 65 should use their DLA claims to fund the transport

Comments About Medical Trips

• A scheme that allows disabled people to use a voucher token to hire a taxi to attend hospital appointments would be helpful when their normal helpers and drivers are not available • The DEF is perturbed about what alternatives are going to be in place to still enable people to attend health appointments when it has been shown that health appointments have the second highest usage in community transport. We seem to be moving back to what is known as the Medical Model of Disability. It is also wrong that Disabled people have to pay for taxis to take them to day care opportunities, which could have an adverse impact on the Disabled people enjoying that service. • Medical appointments as there is no room for wheelchairs on any buses along Fishponds Road and transport planners need to get their act together

Concerns About Group Hire

• It’s hard to get a good price for a reasonable price to pick people up to get to the group. Stroke isolates people and for many this is the only time that they get to go out for their weekly session. Cutting down on group hire will make it more difficult for this group individual bookings like dial-a-ride is not reliable enough • Group hire needs to still be funded. Many people reply on groups, charities etc. who in turn rely on affordable transport. Of course there needs to be some kind of "outcomes test", but it should be open to providers to offer a subsidised group hire service to groups who can

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

show that they are using the subsidy to achieve the required outcomes. There is more than one way to skin a cat! • Group vehicle hire could be a money earner that would support other services. • Maybe need to look at other community transport providers. Some voluntary organisations have self-drive minibuses available for community hire at a very cheap rate (egg Blenheim Scouts). Would it be more cost effective to look for drivers and hire some of the transport as needed rather than own the transport too?

Concerns About Discrimination

• Again, I ask if this could be seen as discriminatory. Non-disabled people using conventional public transport are free to choose not only when they travel, and I understand that with limited resources that with CT this may not be always possible, but where they go and for what purpose, surely this should also apply to disabled and older people who cannot use conventional public transport. Bristol City Council needs to be clear about how it wants to deliver services that are inclusive and where that is not possible where alternative services will be provided with sufficient funding to make them viable. I appreciate that the Council per se has limited funds but may need to re assess its priorities and ensure that specialist transport is adequately funded. To many service users these services are a "life line" and to restrict or withdraw them now would I suggest a) lead to more health issues to be addressed by another Council Dept, possibly costing more money in the long run and b) not be good politically, it is mainly the older age groups who vote in elections.

Comments About Shopmobility

• Where this relates to the Shopmobility service, we feel strongly that this is something which Bristol City Council should continue to fund in full. Having heard what a difference this service makes to users at a recent meeting, it is important that users retain the independence this service gives them.

Other

• transport should be provided for those who really need it • if BDAR was withdrawn from our members this would have a very damaging effect on our service as we would not be able to deliver a cost effective service and could lead to a reduction of our service activities • I think the proposal of allowing organisations to provide community transport will not work, many organisations are already struggling for money, how are they supposed to provide community transport. If this proposal goes ahead it will end up there being no community transport in Bristol. I feel Bristol City Council should carry on funding elderly and disabled community transport. • This is not easy and I think transport for elderly is more important than transport for younger people, and perhaps this should be looked at in the same light.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• Money needs to be found so that we don’t end up with people shut in, there are ways that this can be done without cutting services. We are happy to work with the council to look at this

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

We are proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

Positive

• as a disabled person in the forest of dean scooter hire in Bristol is very important as Bristol has a lot to offer and without a scooter I wouldn’t be able to access it • The mobility scooter service at Cabot circus is extremely helpful it makes a huge difference to couples who can go shopping together a free service would be even better. • 2 people agreed with no further comment • I agree strongly with this proposal. The Shopmobility service is regarded as being invaluable to its users by giving them their independence while shopping in the city centre and enabling them to enjoy their shopping time. Without this service many would not be able to access the central shopping area. • Not being a resident of Bristol, this is the only proposal that interests me as a Blue Badge holder and visits to Cabot Circus would not be viable without shop mobility and the opportunity to hire mobility scooters and/or wheelchairs. • It is good that mobility aid should be available on a funded basis. However, it would be a good idea if a facility was offered for a voluntary contribution towards the costs as the system run by the Cribbs Causeway Mall Shopmobilty. • I have used the Shopmobility at Cabot circus without this facility i would not be able to came to Bristol for shopping or the hospital to which i attend on a regular basis every month • hopefully it would permit users to wander wider to harbour area central library and the museum

Negative

• Instead of funding wheelchair and mobility aid hire, put the funding into keeping community transport for elderly and disabled people for travelling in the whole of Bristol. • This would be much better funded by those that need it and by the shops that would benefit from it.

Other

• please move shop mobility out of the Cabot circus car park as I have to pay to go in and get a wheelchair • Free for the unwaged • with a disabled husband this seems interesting but like to know the practicalities of it how do we get from bus stop to point of hire

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• I think that people should be taken to the city centre in wheelchair taxis so they can use they own wheelchair. Many cannot transfer to ordinary seats from their own wheelchair • When Shopmobility in Bristol was first set up it was expected that the local city traders and retailers would financially support the service as happens in most other cities. I would suggest that further and new approaches give the newish Cabot Circus, are made to seek funding for this service from them as they, and not the City Council, benefit the most from these services. This in itself would free up some additional funding for demand responsive transport in the city. • This is positive as mobility aid hire is key to enable individuals to navigate the central area. Shopping Centres already offer space and facilities free of charge and if the funding ceased or reduced then the danger are that no additional assistance would be forthcoming. This is truer now than at any point in the past. • The DEF feels this is a good option for Disabled people who manage to get to the shopping area to access wheelchair and mobility aid hire. However, the proposal of boundaries for available community transport is likely to make it difficult particularly for the group of Disabled people who are more likely to use and require community transport and mobility aids. • Without seeing the price etc hard to say, also the method for getting people to the wheelchair where do they leave theirs?

5. Do you have any Other Suggestions or Alternative Strategy Proposals for Focusing the Use of the Council’s Community Transport Budget?

• this is a vital service as it helps many vulnerable get to their hospital appointments • there are many places in Bristol that I would like to visit in Bristol but without a scooter it’s impossible • the low availability of transport is a major downfall for people with disabilities and it will kill off all voluntary groups that have people in all 3 areas of Bristol • No. Only that the Bristol City Council should not cut funding for community transport for elderly and disabled people in the whole of Bristol. • The amount of CT transport available in a major city like Bristol is already very limited given the current numbers who require such a service. This has been helped to a limited extent by having wheelchair accessible mainstream buses that some disabled people are able to access but with the expected increase in the older population of Bristol in the future, many of whom will have mobility problems, means that the Council should have a 5 year strategy that increases the amount available to spend on demand responsive services and not on a reduction in funding. Previously the Transport Dept of the Council has been very successful in attracting National and European funding eg VIVALDI, and included CT in its bids, which gave a boost to the amount of funding available. This should again be taken up at a strategic level by the Council.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 1

• The DEF has major concerns about the cutback in services for community transport. Once again, Disabled people are forced to be marginalised in society even though we are not the people who caused the economic crisis. You have to look at these cutbacks not on their own, but the cumulative impact on Disabled people. • Integration with train services. • Hopefully First Bus will be encouraged to be as accessible as possible both physically and in attitude. The more accessible the public transport is the less reliant people should be on additional support.

Additional Comments

• I do not tend to use public transport due to time restraints and cost but my children and elderly parents do. I also work for Blenheim Scouts that have 3 community self-drive minibuses that are available to hire at very reasonable rates. Many user groups in the community are already regularly using them for day trips and weekends away, as well as collecting members for regular meetings, though some groups struggle to find a suitable driver.

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Notes from User Group Meeting at Lawrence Weston Community Transport on Saturday 23 March 2013

Attending: David Prosser, Pat Medcalf, Richard Pyle, Nigel Barrett, Veronica Ford and 35 service users

NB welcomed all. RP gave apologies for John Bees and a short introduction. He gave the definition of community transport as being, at its best, safe accessible, cost-effective, transport that harnesses the experience and energy of volunteers and is run by the community for the community.

DP gave background information on the consultation and said that a key dilemma facing the Council was the cuts that had to be made due to the reduction in government funding and the increasing demand for community transport. He said that the Council greatly values community transport and is trying to find the best way of using the money available for it. As those present would be aware a number of surveys had been carried out last year, not only of all users but also of people who did not currently have access to community transport.

The questionnaire had been given to all those present and DP said that he would be explaining it. He said there had been pressure to cut the community transport budget by £100k in 2013/14 but, as a result of representations, the mayor had decided to reduce the cut to £50k and make no cut to Lawrence Weston and the smaller community transport groups. He said that this consultation was about what happens from April 2014 onwards.

The Council was considering its priorities in order to focus on people who need community transport most. The number of older people and people with disabilities who were unable to access public transport was increasing. People living in Lawrence Weston were very fortunate in having a service that gave so many people the opportunity to travel. The Council was putting forward their proposals in the questionnaire and asking for comments and responses.

Firstly the council was considering who should be eligible to use the community transport service. It wished to focus on door-to-door demand responsive transport and proposed supporting those people who find it difficult or impossible to use public transport and have no access to a car. In future it would be important to assess the benefit by the difference the opportunity to get out and about makes to peoples lives rather than just by counting the number of journeys made.

Secondly the council was considering how services should be delivered. It was proposing that the city would be split into three areas and that services would be constrained within area boundaries but would all include journeys to the city centre.

Page 1 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Thirdly the council considered that it would not be possible to fund the full range of current activities and were proposing instead to focus on a core element of community transport provision which is ‘demand responsive’ door- to-door’ transport for shopping, leisure and social activities. Activities such as group vehicle hire and trips to medical appointments would not be funded. GPs and the health service could fund community transport separately for this.

The council was also proposing that concessionary fares reimbursements are no longer paid for community transport services. This would mean that operators might need to charge for using the service. This charge would need to be more reflective of the actual costs of providing the service. They might need to look at ways for reducing this fare for people on low incomes and carers.

Fourthly the Council was proposing to fund wheelchair and mobility aid hire in the central shopping area of the city.

DP asked for comments from the service users that were present. He said that all responses to the consultation would be brought together to inform the mayor and to influence what is decided about the future. He said that the consultation would end on 15 May.

Question A volunteer driver said he wanted to follow up the proposal about ceasing group hire and asked if it would be possible to have a preferred private taxi company with a specially reduced rate

NB said that he hoped it would be possible to continue the hire of minibuses by groups because volunteer drivers enabled costs to be kept low. He said he was looking closely at this issue.

DP said that the group hire issue was a particularly important to another community transport provider in the city which had a significant dependence on it. He explained there were two types of taxi. The blue ones have specific rates for hackney carriages. The others are private hire vehicles and their owners could choose to reduce fares but the decision would be theirs as they were private companies.

Comment The volunteer driver said that he hoped that group hire would continue because it was the only chance he got to go to some places.

DP said that the community transport hire costs for minibuses with volunteer drivers were likely to be cheaper than commercial firms because they did not have to include the cost of paying the driver.

Page 2 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Question A service user asked if only people with concessionary bus passes could become members of community transport e.g. some disabled people below retirement age did not have concessionary travel cards.

DP said that at the moment a lot of people can travel free with a concessionary travel card but others could also travel at a small charge. After 2014 it was possible that all service users would have to pay. Thought would need to be given as to how to deal with carers and those on low incomes.

NB explained that at the moment LWCT claim concessionary fare reimbursement from BCC. If that stopped the service might have to become ‘pay as you go’. There might have to be charges. He urged those present to mention on the questionnaire if they did not feel this was right. It was very important that they say so if they had any queries or doubts. The consultation would end on 15 May and there would be no more opportunities to give their point of view.

NB asked if there were any other questions and said that all comments and criticisms were welcome.

Comment A service user said that the step on one bus is too high for her. NB said this was the VW bus. Sometimes he had no option but to use this bus on her route but he advised her to tell him when she was travelling so he could do his best to make sure the VW was not on the route.

There were no further questions or comments and NB thanked all for coming.

Comment from service user after the meeting A service user said that she thought the £10 membership fee was a pittance for 12 months travel. She said that she felt guilty about only spending £10 for 12 months travel. Her neighbour agreed with her. She said that she was mobile but she needed to use the service due to breathing difficulties and a heart problem. RP asked her to put this comment on her questionnaire.

There was a discussion between DP, RP and this service user about, for example buying a £20 ticket for so many journeys. The driver would punch the ticket on each journey. RP said that because LWCT is a small organisation and knew people so well they would know who could and who could not afford to pay for travel.

RP said that it would take time to join/merge/collaborate with other community transport groups. It might work because the small groups knew people well but the bigger organisation could do the marketing. In time LWCT could cover

Page 3 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Southmead, Henbury, Brentry, Kingsweston, Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth. There was a discussion about the 7 and 5 area option.

RP said that he understood that the Council needed a standard city-wide service and he understood that charges would need to be introduced. It was about being efficient and spending money wisely. He thought it was important to build on what had already been done and repeated that he thought it would take time to grow organically. He said that the LWCT call centre is only open in the morning and service users are used to that. When Veronica leaves for the day she could email the larger group to say what was being done and they might be able to do what LWCT could not. Another benefit of collaboration between groups would be the ability to share spare buses.

Page 4 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

CATT Users Forum – Wednesday 17th April 2013 from 11.00 to 12.30

Present

D Prosser (DP) P Woodhouse (PW) D Parry (DPa) + 2 Staff 2 Volunteer drivers 17 Service users

PW Summarised key points of the questionnaire and the questions being asked, with interjections from DP at various points of detail. Covered eligibility, area-based delivery (including other options in the strategy), what the council should fund (door to door demand responsive for shopping, leisure and social activities) and Not funding medical appointments or group hire. Also covered the proposal to remove the rebate for concessionary fares. Noted the proposal to fund mobility hire at Cabot Circus.

Not all had read the questionnaire or strategy – copies handed out to those who hadn’t.

The meeting was then opened to the room for comments, concerns and questions. Issues raised are grouped below into key issues of concern:

Comment Response 1 ‘Unable to use Public Transport’ is a very wide group – Eligibility criteria discussion and not forgetting those on low incomes. a Locally problem with the area is narrow roads People in this position would be and steep hills. Only CATT bus can get there. eligible for the proposed service Users can’t get to public bus routes. Public in the draft strategy. Talked buses confined to only two main roads. The about the alternatives related to service CATT provides is first class – please receipt of benefits etc and don’t mess with it. seemed to have agreement that these alternatives were not good and that the proposed criteria were preferred. b Need to open the Cllrs eyes to see how many Many Councillors are aware and need it – for example, no access relates to all have had the draft strategy shopping trips where they need the help to and opportunity to comment. come back and carry bags up to the house or The conflict is with demand to load the shopping onto the bus. Also where the reduce overall council budgets. destination required involves 2 or more buses CT budget is vulnerable but there and links are very bad. Left waiting at cold/wet is evidence that the services are stops. (these concerns were picked up by valued. many other users)

Page 1 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2 c Need to clarify what is meant by the ‘access to Point taken and this will be car’ – many have some access but only when clarified. their family can visit, or only when it is not being used by another. Does it mean if you own a car? d Example of issues that are not in the older More clarity required on how the people with walking difficulties and disabled services respond to those on low category was given by young mother with 2 income and carers. young children – Has to go to Stockwood. Only way to get there takes 1 and half hours using two buses (to get there conventionally) and costs a lot by bus (as no concession). CATT bus takes 15 mins and can be afforded. e There was further discussion towards the end This is a strategy and application of the meeting about applying the eligibility will be further developed. criteria, and that it is a little vague in the strategy.

A specific example was given of someone who Such people would be eligible as could use a bus to get to the shops but not to it should apply to the full journey come back with heavy bags would be eligible. (there and back).

2 Concessionary Fares loss would be catastrophic – This item was raised throughout the meeting.

Cuts in benefits. Can’t afford to travel now Explained the issue of without the free travel. Some may be able to concessionary fares being a pay, but many will not. People will not be able blanket age + disability measure to afford to use it. No other alternatives so will and does not reflect need. be confined to their homes. Cost to Council of £3.60 for each (DPa noted later that CATT have been return journey. This is a local carrying out their own survey on what people authority agreed scheme and is will be able to pay and will provide the results funded by the LA so is also at (list of responses) to the Council as part of risk from overall budget their formal response) reductions. Clarified confusion over “support to First.” and where the money comes from and also that the concessionary scheme for ‘Public buses’ is a national one so changes would have to be made nationally. How will a provider be able to means test? – The reference in the strategy to Not reasonable to expect them to assess each those on low income and

Page 2 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

user? transport of carers needs more thought. Frustration expressed for those who have Consistency of future funding will managed and expanded the service and made enable the providers to prepare a it a success. By “penalising” in taking the business case and suitable concessionary fares rebate away may as well charging/fare structure to suit “wave the service goodbye”. their plans. Grant would be part of the funding, providing the core to this. Who will pay the money to get people out and about. Users will not afford it. All very well saying Council funds are part of the picture, but who else will fund to these levels to enable it to happen? The concessionary fare rebate currently acts as an incentive to maximise use. Would it be a mistake to remove this? 3 Areas idea a Issue of the size of the area was raised with concern about the loss of the local community link, but was noted that CATT are already expanding and with the hospital bus too are covering much closer to the whole of the proposed South area. b Query raised as to whether demand was Explained that the surveys actually localised and whether really the indicated need across the city – funding should be focussed on specific wards some variation, but no specific (mentioned that it was unlikely to be a need in areas to focus on. Also explained Southville or indeed Cabot/Clifton) that the strategy would allow provider to plan services based on community demand within their area and develop/expand as need required. Discussed the principle of similar funding to each of the 3 areas to allow services to be developed more equitably. c Problems with the access to the central shopping area owing to only one available stop. DPa closed this down to discuss after the meeting with DP/PW

Page 3 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

4 Health – Medical Appointments a The medical appointments issue was raised DPa advised that they currently and that there was general agreement that the integrate trips for medical NHS should contribute to this. appointments within existing routes. 5 How the service is assessed a Concerns were raised about the process of DPa explained that they could bidding and competition and what the council bid for other areas if they wished would be looking for. All the people who need or bid jointly with other groups. the service etc, how it would work? It was explained that having a service in the area and the links to community will be a benefit in terms of the quality of bids/offers. In more general terms it was noted that the Council didn't want to be too prescriptive (it would be difficult to cover many potential scenarios) and that the onus would be on the provider(s) to deliver in line with the outcomes. DP read out the outcomes proposed to be measured (referred to page 24 of the strategy) 6 Other Issues raised during the meeting a First drivers problem with buggies blocking Wheelchair space – Leaving it to drivers is unacceptable. b Bedminster Down resident – similar issues to this area – hills. ‘Connect’ (Wessex) bus was lost (not commercial). CATT extended to it. Keeping CATT in it’s present form (ie Local) is essential. c Discussed the loss of the 510 bus and subsequent agreement to get gritting done in the area to allow the CATT bus to get up the hills in winter. A positive improvement. d The only one stop in Broadmead issue – Need more stops for community buses. (PW discussed this with DPa after the meeting – is about having a way to drop off at the high level in Union St to access top of galleries – An issue to raise with A. Sibley. PW also noted that there is a stop in the shared space area (Champion’s Square) near Bristol Shopmobility access) e Need the quality service that the drivers provide – the help in and out with shopping etc

Page 4 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2 f PW/DP were given a number of photos giving an indication of the shopping loads that are transported and the clear need for help with them g 5 year contract/grant assurance would be far better as it would allow for the development of services with upgraded / leased vehicles. h DPa discussed the service to the South Bristol hospital issues after the meeting and about making them aware that it would potentially stop after the s106 money runs out as Council funding would not be for medical appointments in future?

Page 5 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Bristol Shopmobility Users Meeting on Friday 19th April 2013 (1.30 to 3pm) at Cabot Circus Management Suite

Present DP/PW and PMe Diana Morgan (Manager), Janet Scammell (Chair of Trustees) and Steve Bullock (Vice Chair of Trustees) Jo Hawkins – Destination Bristol (Broadmead) 12 service users

Introduction DM introduced meeting and explained the current Council consultation on a draft strategy for the future funding of Community Transport services that ends on 15th May.

DM emphasised that this meeting was to just discuss the Shopmobility element – seeking a practical solution and also considering whether they should be funded separately or join up with the others. Noted the services that they provide, including the sighted guidance.

DM explained the Council’s proposal to continue to fund separately with a longer-term arrangement (3yrs +) and to assess based on outcomes for the users rather than just the number of hires. Also explained the current social model of disability criteria for using the service.

DM noted that Bristol Shopmobility are members of the Federation of Shopmobility’s – requiring a high level of insurance and training. Noted that Clarks village lost their funding and although shops are supporting, can only run 4 days a week. At Cribbs Causeway the retailers are used to contributing.

Responses/Comments Many of the users present had already completed a questionnaire. DM then ran through a number of questions to help develop discussion with the following responses:

1. What can you do by using Shopmobility that you couldn’t do without us? a) Need to use Shopmobility to maintain independence – wouldn’t otherwise be able to come into central area. Use it for trips to the bank, chemist, shops and hospital appointments. b) Meet friends in the Centre, go to the bank and shops. Cannot walk around the market. c) Hiring a scooter allows a ‘normal’ shopping experience and enjoy life like ‘normal’ people. A huge impact on quality of life.

Page 1 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

d) Day before booking really helps e) Makes you feel normal f) Current location is not that convenient as it is away from the buses. DM – that is why there is a ring and ride service: Meeting the bus at the stop, bus station and coach layby (by calling on mobile when 10mins away). g) 1 user had their own scooter through Motability h) I can use Shopmobility as and when I need to use it and however often I need to use it.

2. What would happen if the service was withdrawn? a) Never be able to come into town b) Couldn’t get everything they needed. Could impact on quality of life for a number of days if had to walk (resulting pain). c) JS noted impact on traders ref survey done on disabled people spending more as plan visits to cover a lot of needs in one.

3. What difference does using Shopmobility make to your life? a) Dramatically improves the users quality of life. b) One user said that Bristol Shopmobility is much better than some others and gave example of Oxford Shopmobility where no-one can come to meet you if you arrive by coach and you have to walk for 15 minutes to pick up a scooter.

4. Would you be willing to undertake short surveys to show what a difference our service makes to your life? a) Survey every 6 months would be ok b) Would be difficult to do at the end of a hiring especially if meeting bus or CT minibus.

5. What do you think to Shopmobility funding coming from the commercial sector rather than from the Council?

Page 2 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2 a) DM – Already receive free rent and utilities for their premises. Feels funding from shops is unlikely. b) Jo Hawkins (Destination Bristol) – Would not expect money to be forthcoming from businesses if Council cut their funding. Particularly difficult at this time, with a big reduction in donations for charitable activities. Need stability in funding. Don’t rely on commercial business for core funding. Perhaps consider for one off support such as purchase of equipment. c) Businesses tend to be transient – business goes and funding goes. Many smaller shops are still in accessible for scooters and so no benefit to them. d) No problem asking them but would not be able to rely on them. Need steady support and a regular income.

6. What do you think about restricting who can use Community Transport? a) Should not be about receipt of benefits (example given of where incapacity benefit doesn’t give you access to other help). Also many are changing. b) Should be open to anybody, not about age. c) Not about age but personal circumstances and based on need (including temporary disabilities – not only broken legs etc, but also not so obvious like ME, depression and other mental health disabilities). d) Should recognise the social model of disability. e) If eligibility is restricted a lot of people would be ‘locked’ in their own homes. f) If some people who need it can’t use the service it would be going against the whole ethos of Shopmobility

7. What do you like about Shopmobility? a) Can be part of society. b) Staff are fantastic, like a family and ‘go above and beyond’ to help (examples given). c) Good opening hours make it a very useable service. d) Wheelchairs are top quality with a range to suit every need (even up to 39 stone), well maintained.

Page 3 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 2

8. What don’t you like, what could we improve? a) No negative comments from users at all. b) One particular cruise company has a maximum weight limit on scooters of 25kg, which Shopmobility cannot currently cater for (only one on the market – v. expensive folds down and has issues with user weight limit). c) Users are content with current charging regime. d) Possibly late night shopping on Wednesday evenings in November and December but this would not be possible without CT support

Other comments Not actually related to shopmobility, but one person raised concern about the proposed ‘east area’ as they considered it is very limited in where you can travel compared with the others – shortage of shops and facilities etc as all the main areas are outside (Kingswood, Staple Hill, Longwell Green etc)… Fishponds, Easton, Stapleton?

Page 4 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Notes from The Mede Sprint User Group Meeting on 24 April 2013 at The Mede Community and Learning Centre (11.00 to 12.00)

Present

Peter Woodhouse (PW), Pat Medcalf (PMe), Suzanne Jones (SJ) 49 users + 1 admin + 1 driver + 1 Linda Dicks (Trustee) + Mark Goodway (Business Development Manager)

Introduction

SJ welcomed all to the meeting and asked how many of those present had completed the CT surveys and sent them back. About 75% said they had done this.

SJ said that she had also completed a simplified version of the survey with about 40 members and said that she would give the results of this whilst the survey questions were discussed at the meeting.

Taking each of the questions in turn:

1. Eligibility – Who should be eligible to use the services funded by the council.

77% of SJ’s survey respondents had agreed that CT should only be used for people that cannot use public transport. Issues mentioned were: • difficulty getting on and off public buses. • difficulty carrying heavy shopping • sometimes the public buses don’t turn up.

PW said that the priority group for the council were those people with mobility problems, those who had difficulty carrying heavy bags and those who could not get out without CT. He asked for comments about the ‘access to a car’ issue and said that this needed to be clarified as the strategy was developed. Some people might think they had access to a car if their son/daughter took them out once a fortnight.

One member said her sister in law was in a wheelchair and couldn’t even get into a car so if she didn’t have the Sprint she could not go out and would be stuck at home.

Another member said that 10 years ago when the Sprint started it was for the over 60s. Now a lot of people were over 75.

PW said that in London people who were over 85 were eligible for CT. In other places people were eligible if they had higher rate Disability Living

Page 1 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Allowance. Bristol City Council had chosen to propose basing eligibility on a self-declaration that a person could not use public transport.

2. How should the services be delivered – 3 areas?

SJ said that 84% of her respondents had agreed that journeys should be limited to their boundaries. Some people wanted to keep to the Mede Sprint’s boundaries. SJ felt that the South area could be covered by The Mede and CATT.

1 member referred to BDAR and said she could never get a journey with them.

PW said that 3 areas would mean that the focus would be on local journeys and this would offer more journeys per passenger than if services were provided on a citywide basis. All the areas would link with the city centre and allow a connection with Bristol Shopmobility.

3. What services should the council fund?

SJ said that 61% of her survey respondents said that journeys to medical appointments should not be funded by the council. Question 3 had confused a lot of people apparently because some said “yes” because they agreed that funding should be given door to door to vulnerable people but inadvertently that meant saying yes to not including medical appointments that they didn’t necessarily mean. 12% to 15% of journeys are to doctors, but this is incorporated within existing journeys around the estate as Health services are located in the middle of the estate.

Strong feelings were expressed about the need to get to the doctors as well as to the opticians and dentists at Broadwalk. It was not felt that the doctor would make a home visit if they could not get to an appointment. The Mede Sprint was originally funded by the health service and all present said they used it to get to the doctors.

PW said the council was consulting on not continuing to fund transport to medical appointments directly. It was hoped that the health service would contribute to these journeys on the back of door-to-door provision for shopping and leisure activities. Journeys to medical appointments could be more difficult to schedule as they often had no fixed end time and the Council wanted to raise this contribution to funding with GPs clinical commissioning groups. The more organisations that contribute to the funding of community transport the better.

One member said that she could not get onto the No 36 bus because of the step. PW said that First run this service and intend to replace these buses by the end of the year. It was alright if you lived near a bus stop, but Knowle West was quite hilly.

Page 2 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire?

SJ moved on to Question 4 and said that 60% of her respondents did not agree that funding should be made available for the hire of wheelchairs and scooters in the city centre. This was because they currently could not go to the city centre so they were not interested.

5. Other comments and alternative proposals

SJ asked what those present valued most about the Mede Sprint:

• “Otherwise I would be housebound or have to use local taxis for emergencies” • “It would cost £30-£50 per week to go to clubs in taxis” • “It would cost £5:60 for a one way taxi trip across the area” • “It costs £7 to go to Broadwalk in a taxi” • “It’s difficult to work out what time you will need to return in a taxi and we don’t all have mobile phones”. • SJ said it was possible that concessionary fares might stop. If this was the case the Sprint would have to charge members up to £2 per journey, she asked if this was acceptable. PW explained that reimbursements for concessionary fares on community transport were funded by the council whereas they were funded by central government for public transport. Door to door demand responsive transport is very expensive. • Most of those present said they would be willing to pay £2 per journey. They said they used to pay before and it was cheaper than a taxi • One member said she uses the bus to see her daughter (who has had a bad accident), once a week. It would cost her £16 in taxi fares • “It allows us to go out for lunch, meet friends and make friends” • “The drivers are brilliant” (applause) • “It allows me to go to the cemetery once a month to see my husband” • “My mum is on oxygen and the drivers are brilliant with her”. • From the drivers point of view – “I lift shopping and leave it by the front door”. Trips to GPs are manipulated into the schedule • PW asked how many health services have transferred to South Bristol Community Hospital. It was felt to be a slow trickle - only the walk in centre and physiotherapy. The Sprint don’t do same day bookings for emergencies so the hospital has not had much impact • “If it was not for the Sprint I would be stuck at home 24/7 and vegetate away” • “We would all be miserable old women” • “I was very ill and was housebound for 2 years and 2 of the kindest ladies helped me on my first trip, waited for me to bring a larger trolley out to the bus, asked if I was alright going around ASDA “ • Trips twice a week and clubs, our children have to work so we need the Sprint to get out

Page 3 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

• We need to take taxis at weekends when the Sprint does not operate.

SJ and PW clarified community transport won’t be cancelled but it may be changed. Services are being re-shaped to make them better prioritised to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. The idea is to deliver outcomes for people (like reducing social isolation) and also to respond to legal obligations about how to fund projects. The yearly cycle of funding uncertainty should stop with funding for 3 to 5 years agreed, but we would have to bear in mind that the council has less money. There wouldn’t be a strategy if community transport was going to stop. Existing funding ends in March 2014 and new re- commissioned services would start in April 2014.

There was another discussion about keeping the bus in the existing area. There were concerns that the CATT bus was not currently a door-to-door service for people and they had to get to a meeting point at Morrisons for trips. One member said that he had heard that BDAR now costs £25 per annum and is operating in a different way.

Page 4 of 4 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Notes from Consultation Meeting on Draft CT Commissioning Strategy with BCT User Group on 24 April 2013 2.30pm to 4.15pm at Junction 3 Library Building (Room J3)

Present Peter Woodhouse (PW), David Prosser (DP), Pat Medcalf (PM) from BCC Jan Jones (JJ), Jude Winter (JW) and Jack Scriven from HCT Group/BCT 34 service users

JJ welcomed all to the meeting and introduced JW. Each of those present were also asked to introduce themselves including:

(List of attendees removed)

JW gave information on the background to the review and gave a presentation explaining that the meeting was to ask questions, enable users to put their point of view, consider the impact of decisions on service users both positive and negative. The presentation led into a list of questions that covered the main points of the consultation + other questions that BCT/HCT thought that the Council should have asked.

The following notes cover the comments and questions raised in response to each question in turn:

Question 1: Proposals for Eligibility – for people who find it difficult or impossible to use public transport and have no access to a car:

• “My partner drives but when he is not available I am stuck, for example when he was in hospital and I needed to visit him”. • “The public bus service is not an option for wheelchair users. Drivers don’t like using the ramp and sometimes won’t let me on as buggies get priority now”. • “Can’t depend on buses if you need to be somewhere on time and I lack confidence that I will be able to get on one to get home. Can’t afford to risk being stranded”. • “I drive but I can’t take a crowd on a day trip. We need a volunteer driver”. • “I use the service once a week for shopping. I can’t walk to the bus stop” • “I can’t take my scooter on a public bus” • “What about groups with a mixture of people. It would be like segregation?” • It’s difficult to take a group of 10 young people on a public bus, it takes longer, it’s more expensive and less reliable and there are safeguarding issues. You need more supervision on a public bus.

Page 1 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

• “We take children with parents affected by drug and alcohol abuse – we would not be able to take them on a public bus or indeed by any other means”. • “I represent a day centre for elderly South Asian adults. We are a charity and HSC have recently withdrawn 100% of their funding. There is no funding for transport for independent day centres like ours. Cannot use the bus for individuals because of language barriers and no bus goes near the day centre”. Had tried BDAR but they could not offer a specific time and other accessible minibus hire companies do not provide a driver which we also need. • “We have a number of people affected by diabetes who need to use the toilet regularly. It would not be practical to take them on a public bus”. • We represent KHASS. We provide respite care for South Asian families with disabled children. We travel Bristol-wide and could not use public transport.

There was a discussion about the rationale for not including group travel and the council wishing to fund individuals in a priority group for door-to-door demand responsive transport. DP read the outcomes the council wished to achieve. The main focus of the discussion was on individuals that might qualify that currently used the group hire service. It was recognised that the service providers would be enabled to design their service and charges to suit and this may result in some individuals in a group qualifying. More clarity and guidance would be needed on these issues.

Question 2: The question of not funding journeys to Health appointments.

• It was queried what this would mean for visiting people in Hospital? • It was explained that this was to try and encourage the Health services to pick up their responsibilities in this area. • Concern was expressed that this also would exclude BME communities from mainstream services because CT has a specific role in meeting their very specific needs. • Examples were given of shops that perhaps only BME people would want to visit etc

JW asked for as many questionnaires to be returned as possible before the closing date of 15 May. She said this was a unique opportunity to shape CT. One member was concerned that a number of users could not fill in the questionnaire due to language issues. JW explained that BCT/HCT would discuss with them afterwards about assisting them to do so.

Page 2 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Question 3: How Should Services be Delivered and the proposal to Split into 3 Areas?

• JW referred to concerns about not enough ability to meet people needs and not being able to get through – ‘ring and ring’. • The idea was raised that if people want to travel to another area they can transfer to another operator in the centre. • “Our church is in Mangotsfield but people need to be collected from Greenbank and Easton. I don’t think we would be covered. Even though we are just outside the area would it be within the spirit of this consultation that we would qualify?” • “I am a Community artist who works with children, young people and NEETS in different areas all around Bristol. I couldn’t manage without BCT. It would be totally impossible. Public transport is not good enough. It is too expensive and I would need to do a risk assessment for each journey. I could have 10 young people living in all 3 areas and could not afford commercial rates for minibus hire”. • JW said that the idea of was to give a service to people who are currently receiving no service. The council was proposing to put their resources into door-to-door transport and the challenge for BCT was to keep group hire charges as low as possible. • It was asked how much money is available. It was explained that at present we don’t know as it depends on overall budget proposals and the priorities of those making decisions. • It was stated that certain activities are really challenged by the possible introduction of area boundaries. • PW said that the idea of splitting the city into 3 areas was to contain the distance travelled and to be able to do more local journeys • It was felt that BME groups would struggle if group hire is no longer subsidised. • Concern was expressed that scout groups would not meet any of the outcomes. • Concern was expressed that 3 areas would mean 3 depots with greater overhead costs. DP said there were currently 5 providers of CT in city with 5 bases. • JW said all HCT vehicles in London were based in one place but drivers drove out to their areas at the start of the day and did all their routes in one area. This of course raises the issue of what is called ‘dead mileage’. It would be up to the providers to try and keep this to a minimum to enable them to be more cost effective.

It was queried who would provide these area services and it was explained that one provider could bid for each area individually, or providers could club together in a consortium for one area bid or for the whole city.

Page 3 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Question 4: The council proposes to fund Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire in the central shopping area of the city.

• Yes this most definitely should be funded. • JJ said that Champion Square adjacent to Bristol Shopmobility premises could become a collection point for groups from the 3 areas where people could swop buses. It belongs to the council. The free hospital bus also stops there.

PW said that comments would be reported back to the project board. JW asked him to describe the strength of feeling he had heard at the meeting. JJ said she would also be making representations to the Transport and Development Scrutiny Commission. DP said that a report would be going to cabinet on 25 July.

Question 5: Proposal to Cease the Reimbursement of Concessionary Fares on CT

• JW explained that this was a question she considers the council should have asked and believes passionately that this is an Equalities Issue. JW also explained that only a few Cites in the country allow the use of bus passes to provide free travel on CT (Bristol and Hull were the only ones she is aware of) and that people need to understand that central government funds the scheme for public transport buses but the Council pays the £3.60 for a return journey on CT. • JW asked what people felt about paying around £1:80 for a community bus when able-bodied people with concessionary passes were using public buses for free. Did they feel this was an equalities issue? • One person felt this was blatant discrimination and another attack on disabled people. • A driver commented about the logic of being able to get to Salisbury and back for free whereas disabled people would be charged to use CT in the city • Morrisons is only 2 miles away and £3:60 would be a lot to pay for that • “I can’t go on public transport because its not good enough” • A user suggested it might be cheaper for 4 people to use a taxi. • Another said this would not be possible if the 4 people were wheelchair users and added that there are only 2 taxis in Bristol he can get into because he is tall and there is not enough headroom. • “You can’t get 40 shopping bags into a taxi.” • “It will be a big change” • It was recognised that if demand for CT goes up and up it will be difficult for the council to manage their concessionary fares budget • PW said it was a controversial issue. The proposal is that providers will set the charging regime. Setting fares will allow them to plan for the future in a business like way and be more in control.

Page 4 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Question 6: How the door-to-door Council funded service would be priced?

• JW said that this was the other question they felt the council should have asked and that if charges are left to individual providers as suggested, it would lead to different charges in each area could result in a postcode lottery which would not be fair. • JW suggested that the ambition must be to have a seamless service. She suggested that this could be achieved by the council setting a maximum charge. • JS asked if the council expected to be challenged over this. She felt it was fundamentally unfair if the disabled had to pay for CT whereas the able bodied and those with lesser disabilities got their transport free on public transport. • The meeting was reminded that the issue should be with central government as they fund the reimbursement of providers of commercial bus services but not of CT. • DP explained that this effectively means that the money is coming from the same budget as the CT funding and the issue might be about whether to provide more journeys and charge, or provide fewer journeys that are free.

Question 7: Do we have any other suggestions or alternative proposals for focussing the Council’s Community Transport Budget.

• JJ said there is so much more unmet need. She noted that BCT could give a proposal to the council, but wants to reflect the users’ views. BCT has not done a dial a ride service to date as it did not want to step on toes. This was an opportunity to present innovative ideas. • JW said it was always possible that alongside their bid for the work that the Council requests, they could also put in a non-compliant bid. They may choose to do this, but would need to ensure they could afford it. • A representative from Headley Park who used the service for shopping said they wouldn’t mind paying a fare. Otherwise many people would be stuck indoors 5 days a week. • JW asked for people to comment on what would be affordable to them. • JW explained that in other places they have had funded group rates, un-funded rates and ‘Council rates’. However, there are difficulties with being the gatekeepers. • JW said that in these areas their experience has been that the bigger community groups would still be able to afford to use the group hire (eg Age UK) but smaller groups would drop off as they could no longer

Page 5 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

afford the prices. JJ said that the smaller groups were once BCTs core business. • A Scout leader said that they tend to use buses at weekends and evenings, which are off peak times. These can make some money rather than having vehicles sitting in depot doing nothing and would help with subsidising the service for priority users. • JW said that they would consider “Smart Pricing” such that it would be more expensive at peak times and cheaper off peak. • JW explained that they would intend to continue to provide day trips etc where buses are less well used, but would have to “channel vehicles to where they are paid to use them”. • JW said their aim would be to continue to meet the needs that people want and to keep costs as low as possible. Where they are not subsidised this would be more difficult.

Other Comments requested to be included.

• PB read out comments from one of BCT’s original community bus service groups that could not attend as they were on a day trip. The service is essential to them as they are too disabled to do their shopping otherwise. • PB also read comments from St Monica’s Trust. They praised the professional and kind drivers and the reliable and fantastic service. • John spoke on behalf of 45 volunteer drivers. He said that over the past few years 22 volunteers had moved into full time employment. Opportunities had been given to people at the local open prison to clean vehicles and some of them had gone on to full employment. He felt that BCT was a professional and well run outfit.

Page 6 of 6 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

Notes from Bristol Dial a Ride (BDAR) Members Advisory Forum/ User Group Meeting on Friday 26th April 2013 at the Vassall Centre (10.30 to 12.30)

Attending Geoff Mills (GM), Peter Woodhouse (PW), David Prosser (DP), Pat Medcalf, Adele Haley (AH - Chief Executive of BDAR), Jennifer Keane (JK - Chair of trustees of BDAR) + 22 Service Users

Introduction AH and JK introduced the meeting and welcomed those present.

GM gave an introduction detailing changes at the top of the council. He said that the big issue is the budget and public sector finances. Every pound that is spent on services needs to be justified. At the moment the Council is having to assess what it costs to just run the services that are statutory, and then look at those, which are discretionary.

Concessionary fares on commercial public bus services are statutory, but there is no requirement to provide them on Community Transport (CT). However, Bristol City Council has funded the rebates for this provision on CT (£1.80 per single journey) for the last few years. The funding of Community Transport is not Statutory, but the Local Transport Plan (LTP) does say that CT should be maintained and developed and that all services should be made more accessible to people. GM said he was reasonably confident that while the current LTP remains there would be some council funding of Community Transport.

The demand for all council services is going up and there are particular pressures in education and health and social care.

The council needs to justify and have clear reasons for what it is doing, and why, to make sure that each pound goes further. He said that it would be Important for those present to make their own views known about what services they valued.

The Consultation

PW referred to the surveys, which had been carried out in 2012, which showed a significant and growing demand for CT services across the city. The council had to decide on their priorities and were currently consulting on proposals to fund CT in the future in the draft strategy. He read through the 5 key questions on the questionnaire, also referring to the concessionary fare proposal as part of question 3.

The questionnaire was designed to allow service users to give their views about these proposals before 15th May. The consultation responses will be summarised and considered by the Project Board, and a revised strategy will be formed to take into account the consultation responses. It was explained

Page 1 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2 that after further consideration (probably by Scrutiny in June) the decision would go to Cabinet (aiming for 25th July) and, if approved, the services will be re-commissioned during Autumn/Winter for new services to be in place by April 2014.

There was a question as to whether BDAR would cover all 3 areas or only 1 or 2 areas.

AH said that bids would be invited for grant money and it would be up to BDAR to decide whether to bid for a certain area or for all areas. There was an assumption that BDAR would be doing the service, but the grants would be competitive, so it would depend on whether BDAR were successful.

There was a question as to how BDAR started. AH said that it started in Bedminster in 1988 with 2-3 buses, some volunteers and the support of the council. Members used to only be able to travel in their local area and to the city centre. Members used to pay a fare. It was only a few years ago that BDAR started to cover the whole city. At the time it was felt to be an equalities issue that disabled people should be able to go anywhere they wanted. AH said that BDAR served their members and if they wanted her to fight hard to continue to cover the whole city she would, and if they wanted her to focus on a particular area she would also do this.

A service user suggested that those present should write to their local councillors to say how much they valued BDAR.

Taking each of the questions in turn, the following comments were made:

1. Eligibility

• AH said the proposal was to base this on the social model of disability and she agreed with this. Sometimes people have good days and bad days and sometimes their health can be better in summer than winter when its cold and dark. AH advised that she was considering introducing a temporary membership. • One person said that it was discriminatory to include ‘no access to a car’. “Why shouldn’t a disabled person have a car? It goes against the social model. I have a car and the vice chair has a car. I have a PA to drive my car, but what if my PA is not available?” • “My back and knee are bad. I have to stop 5 times before reaching my bus stop. I can’t carry my shopping back”. PW advised that the whole journey is key. • “The step on the public bus is knee high and older buses have a double step. They are too high for me and sometimes they can’t always pull into the raised kerb”. PW clarified that there was legislation to remove steps on buses by 1st January 2017. The council has done a lot of work raising kerbs. GM said that First Bristol planned that all their city buses would be low floor by the end of 2013.

Page 2 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

• PW said that the council wanted to change how it measures the success of its investment. It wanted to focus more on outcomes. He read the outcomes from the strategy document. • GM said that the downside of the social model of disability and a wider definition of eligibility was that more people would be eligible and there would therefore be fewer opportunities to travel. • AH favoured the social model and self-assessment. She felt that the number of people who would fraudulently abuse this would be small. • AH referred to her recent letter about membership fees. She had had a number of letters of support, but some also saying that they would no longer be using the service. Charging might help contain the numbers but she would be monitoring the issue closely • My family takes me out in the car at weekends, but are not always available and I feel better to be a little independent and be able to do my own shopping with BDAR.

2. How Should Services be Delivered?

• A young member asked if she would only be able to travel in one area or could is she could cross over area boundaries. “I live in Barton Hill. BDAR makes me feel safer. Would I be able to take my little boy on a trip to the zoo? Most of the time when I travel to ‘Playspace’ I am the only one on the bus. It’s not as cost effective as today when there were a group of us travelling to this meeting”. • AH said BDAR had invested in more cars for individual type journeys • There was a discussion about travel within areas so there could be more local trips. DP said the council were considering the issue of short journeys to services that were just outside the boundary e.g. into Kingswood and wouldn’t want to discourage a ‘fuzzy’ boundary. • DP said it might be possible to transfer at the centre and link with a CT provider from another area. • AH said that longer journeys mean BDAR can’t provide so many trips they used to do trips within 2-3 miles and fill bus up • “I need to go from Fishponds to Southmead Hospital. If I can’t get BDAR I just can’t go. I can’t wait at a bus stop for a public bus. If I had to do that I’d rather not go” • JK said that a book-able intersection point to connect with other area providers was vital, and gave the example of trips to visit elderly siblings/spouses in nursing homes in different areas of the city. • The general feeling was for a citywide or 3 area service, otherwise it would be too restricted. Some thought the 3 areas was a good idea.

3. What Services Should the Council Fund?

Exclusion of Trips to Medical Appointments

Page 3 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

• “Are visits to the dentist, podiatrist and for hydrotherapy included?” • “You have to be referred to PTS by a GP so you have to be able to get to the GP first” • AH said that GP practices often recommend BDAR without asking first and then leave BDAR to say that they cannot guarantee a service. She gave an example of SBCH not including transport for the disabled from anywhere other than south Bristol in their plans. She asked why the council should fund this? • “The health service should be lobbied to make them provide this” • “Even if you can claim your taxi fare back for getting to hospital, you still have to pay £20 up front”. • “BDAR can drop you, but they can’t usually pick you up from hospital” • “I got the PTS Ambulance for an appointment at 12:00 but I only went home at 6:30”. BDAR could not do that. • AH said that if a BDAR driver was late, it was often because they had been doing a health appointment previously. • “I joined BDAR to travel from Bishopsworth to Frenchay Hospital. This is because there is no facility for the type of specialist I need on my side of Bristol. I asked why they don’t send the specialist to SBCH, but they say it is because of the equipment. The NHS has got to be more adaptable”. • “I think the council should help us with trips to hospital even if they don’t pay all of it, because we need help”.

Exclusion of Group Vehicle Hire

• “I’d like to see this (group hire) develop as an ancillary service” • “This should be a way of generating extra income” • “Has anyone applied to the national lottery or big supermarkets?” • AH said that BDAR is a charity and a social enterprise. As such it can make money and give the profits back to the community. This is already being done and the community group hire profits go to BDAR. She gave examples of group hire currently being provided. • DP said that this is a good example of the principles that the Council is trying to apply. The council would not be paying for group hire, but the community would still be able to benefit from it. • AH clarified that if BDAR do group bookings, service users can go anywhere they want and would not be constrained by the boundaries.

Proposal to Cease Reimbursement for Concessionary Fares (bus passes) on CT in the Future

• AH advised that there might need to be a fare for each journey as well as the (newly introduced) membership fee. • PW explained that this would enable the providers to set a charge that reflects their costs in providing the service and help them to be more sustainable. • “The council are taking away everything”

Page 4 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 2

• “It will still be cheaper than door to door taxis” • “A fare would not stop people using BDAR” • “BDAR drivers are so pleasant and helpful, you don’t get the same service from a taxi” • If the council decide to stop free bus passes for CT in future then there may need to be a charge per journey. PW clarifed that anyone who had a concessionary travel card would still be able to travel free on a public bus. • “It doesn’t seem right that you have to pay for CT. I have worked and never claimed benefit and now I am half blind and half deaf and have had two knee caps replaced”. • There was general consensus that people would be happy to pay for the quality of service they receive as long as the charge was reasonable (£1.50 a journey was suggested) and that they would not feel forced back onto public buses and would continue to use BDAR for convenience. • AH said she considered it as a mechanism that would help keep BDAR going in future.

4. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Hire

• “I can’t get out of my chair so it is of no use to me” • It was said that they think hire is free at the Mall although you have to pay a deposit • Referring to the suggestion about a drop off in the City Centre to link with this service, it was noted that many BDAR users preferred ‘The Galleries’ to ‘Cabot Circus’ and would prefer to be dropped there. • It was also noted that Bristol Shopmobility offer a service to take hire vehicles to meet your bus/transport in Cabot Circus/Broadmead/The Galleries area as well as at the bus station etc if arranged in advance.

5. General comments and other approaches

JK said it was important to appreciate BDAR’s extra care and the confidence that BDAR give to disabled people to be able to travel and get out.

It was noted that the questionnaires for the consultation must be returned by 15th May closing date. However, users are still able to influence their ward councillors through letters into early June (and they would know for sure who their councillors are after May 2nd).

AH advised after the meeting that she has received many letters indicating that users support paying a fare or membership fee to help keep their Bristol dial a ride service and that this willingness should not be taken as indicating that they would want to do this if in future the service was being provided by another organisation.

Page 5 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Neighbourhoods and City Development Passenger Transport

MINUTES

Meeting Date Time Location Community Transport 11th April 10.30 – City Hall - Committee Room 1 Commissioning Project 2013 12.00 Equality Representatives Forum Attendees Mark Hubbard (MH) - Bristol Compact Liaison Officer (Chair) Peter Woodhouse (PW) - Group Manager (Services) Passenger Transport David Prosser (DP) - Project Manager, Major Projects Jane Hamill (JH) - Equalities Adviser Pat Medcalf (PM) - Assistant Group Manager (Services) Passenger Transport Farzana Saker (FS) - Bristol Multi Faith Forum Mark Williams (MW) + Personal Assistant - Disability Equalities Forum Robin Corser-Langford (RC-L) - Go Out in South West, Global Accessible Holidays and Shopmobility Neil Howe (NH) - Guide Dogs for the Blind Apologies CC Louise Williams, Co-ordinator for Bristol Women’s Voice (Refer to notes sent in) Laura Welti, Disability Equalities Forum Philip Gingell, BPAC

Informal Agenda Items

1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Summary of the Main Points of the Draft Community Transport Commissioning Strategy by David Prosser 3. Open Session for Comments and Concerns 4. Close and Actions

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item 1. Welcome and Introductions. DP welcomed all to the meeting. MH explained that he would be chairing the meeting and asked those attending to introduce themselves. MH said that he was the Bristol Compact Liaison Officer based at VOSCUR. He represented the views and interests of the voluntary sector on the Community Transport Commissioning Project Board and was working to make sure that the commissioning

Page 1 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item process was successful. The meeting was one of a number of events taking place during consultation on the draft strategy. 2. Summary of the Main Points of the Draft Community Transport Commissioning Strategy. DP set the scene and gave a verbal summary of the main points of the proposed strategy. With limited funds the council was proposing to focus its support on demand responsive door-to-door transport. Activities such as group vehicle hire, trips to medical appointments and transport for clients of day care services would no longer be directly supported. In addition it was proposed that concessionary fares reimbursements would no longer be paid for community transport services. It was felt that a fixed rate of reimbursement restricted the ability of providers to manage their businesses as currently virtually everyone travels for free and providers are not able to raise fares for this enhanced service that is half way between a taxi and a minibus. It was possible that there would be a charge for the service in the future.

DP said that the Council is seeking comments on the draft strategy and on the equalities impact of the proposals. He referred to the draft Equalities Impact Assessment, copies of which were available. 3. Open Session for Comments and Concerns

MH asked for points of clarification first

NH said that a grant should not be given without a Service Level Agreement because it was important that the Council knew what it was getting for its money.

DP said there had been a Service Level Agreement based on outputs such as the number of journeys. There had not been an outcome-based approach relating to what impact community transport could have on improving peoples’ lives.

Training NH said there needed to be a detailed agreement and commitment that the people who operate the service would have training in how to approach visually impaired service users.

MW said that equalities training needed to cover all impairments and not just visual impairments.

Group Hire FS asked what consideration had been given to removing direct funding for group bookings. FS referred to the Asian Health and Social Care Association located at the Easton Community Centre where the majority of bookings fell into this category. FS also referred to lunches for older people in the Sikh community. Most

Page 2 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item were over 70 and had problems walking. Bookings were also made by women’s groups and older people’s groups from the Hindu Temple and the Muslim community. FS said it was possible that most members of some groups would be eligible to use community transport as individuals.

DP said that it was likely that group hire would still be available but individuals would be the focus for council funding.

FS was concerned that groups would no longer be able to afford to hire vehicles.

MH said that the board had had many discussions on the issue of groups being subsidised through the community transport budget. The proposal was that the new services would focus on journeys for individuals but providers would have vehicles that could be made available to people who wanted to make bookings for groups to hire at other times. Unfortunately the council could not continue to provide the full range of current activities and was proposing to focus on individuals. The Council was not saying that group hire would not happen. It was saying that it wanted to focus all its money on buying individual services.

Charges FS said she felt that groups would lose out as the vehicle charges would be higher and members might have to make a contribution or a higher contribution. She was particularly concerned that the Sikh population and Muslim women would not be able to afford it. She also thought that it might be more expensive to deal with as individual bookings than as group vehicle hire.

DP said that was an issue for providers planning the use of minibuses each day. If 10 members wanted to go to a lunch club the provider would record them as individuals and might still say it was more sensible to take them in the same bus if they came from the same area. It would be up to the provider to plan the journey in the most efficient way.

MH asked if FS was suggesting that a change in fare structure would have an adverse effect on faith groups?

FS said she thought this would be the case. She also thought that some BME communities would be adversely affected too.

PW said that it had already been identified that some equalities groups use group vehicle hire services and that potentially some users might find that services were not available in the future. It was the intention of the council to fund a core service for individuals. Providers could use other resources to do more commercial

Page 3 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item activities. At this point it was not possible to say if charges would go up for group hire.

FS said that one of her frustrations when market prices were mentioned was that she always sensed that people at the bottom would suffer most. She gave the example of clinical commissioning where she felt there was a real danger that vulnerable people would suffer most.

MH said that the challenge was to lessen the impact on the most vulnerable.

MW asked how much disabled people would have to pay?

MH said that the question should be logged but he did not know the answer. The impact of charging changes on disabled people would be included in the Equalities Impact Assessment.

JH said that it would be important to highlight the cumulative effect of changes on the disabled, not just due to this strategy, but across the board. No one knew what the charges would be in the future, but the issue still needed to be put into the assessment. More and more things were being changed and there was a need to record who would be most affected as changes come in.

MW asked that when charges were known he should be told about them.

MH said it would be helpful if those attending could build scenarios and come back to him with them to illustrate the effects of the proposed strategy. He said there was a real will to lessen the impact All on the most vulnerable and this could only be done with the expert advice of equalities groups.

RC-L said that he represented two not-for-profit groups, one serving gay men in the south west and one which was mainly for people with learning difficulties. A lot of these people were on reduced and reducing incomes and if they could not afford to go on day trips it would affect their quality of life. He said that he uses Bristol Community Transport and is a volunteer driver. He knows that log sheets need to be completed recording the number of wheelchair users and walking frames so that these impairments are being monitored.

Support Workers RC-L also said that some people need support workers to travel and this should to be taken into consideration. He felt that disabled people generally were going to have a worse quality of life due to the proposed changes. He suggested that it would affect Bristol

Page 4 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item Community Transport more than Bristol Dial-a-Ride because they do 99% group hire. He felt that Community Transport is a godsend in the City for community groups. He said that he is also on the board of Bristol Shopmobility.

MH said he understand there would be an impact on equalities communities. He directed all to the questions in the consultation questionnaire.

Question 1 Who Should be Eligible to Use the Community Transport Services.

a) MW commented on “access to a car” he said that people may have a car but they may not have a driver. MH said there needed to be a sensible means of interpreting this. MW said it needed to be made clear.

b) FS agreed. She said “What does access to car mean?” A family may have access to a car, but another family member may need the car at the same time as the person with the mobility problem.

c) NH commented on “difficult or impossible to use Public Transport”. He gave the example of a guide dog owner who in theory could use public transport but found it difficult to cross a particular road to get to a bus stop. NH said it would be difficult to assess this for each person for each journey.

d) MH said that the amount of flexibility regarding eligibility depended on the mechanism for distributing funding. A competitive grant would let providers propose eligibility and assessment. A contract would need much more detail to be specified.

e) NH said he hoped the hurdles people would have to jump over would not be too high. There should not be too many hoops to jump through to use the service.

f) PW said the wording was not clear. In this context the word “use” is not easily definable. He accepted it was not straightforward. He referred to Bristol Dial-a-ride’s relatively flexible approach.

g) FS said that when there were too many hurdles for individuals and groups to jump the tendency would be to take the easiest route and sit back and not do anything. If people did not use the service the problem will move elsewhere.

h) MH referred to page 26 of the draft strategy. He gave examples of other cities that use age or eligibility for higher rate mobility allowance to determine eligibility for community transport. He said that the board wanted to keep eligibility more open so that it was

Page 5 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item less onerous to use services. They did not want to prescribe eligibility. The board understood about barriers to service. He asked for considered views from the stakeholder’s perspective.

i) JH said that eligibility needed to be kept open and not narrowed down. The disability living allowance was changing and people who were eligible may no longer be eligible for this in future.

j) DP agreed and said that it was important to consider people who were not eligible for benefits as they might need the service more than people who received them.

k) MH said that fewer people would be in receipt of mobility type benefits in future.

l) MW agreed that this was a very important issue.

m) RC-L asked if the Community Transport Association had been consulted about the strategy?

n) DP said it had been discussed with a number of people at the Community Transport Association conference that he and PW had attended in November. It had also been discussed with local Community Transport groups.

o) PW said that a key message from the conference had been that community transport groups should be trying to move away from grant dependency and become more sustainable.

Question 2 - How Should Services be Delivered?

a) RC-L asked if Bristol Dial-a-Ride was being referred to or groups like Bristol Community Transport who do group hire?

b) MH said that newly commissioned services would be for individuals and not group hire. At this stage it was not known who the providers of the services would be. It was likely that they would be commissioned by competitive grants in the future.

c) NH referred to the vision services committee in South Gloucestershire. There had been discussions recently about the fact that it was not possible to book cross boundary services and people had to change vehicles at the border. This was seen as a big barrier to blind and partially sighted people. Any fragmentation of a journey caused problems. He would therefore welcome larger areas.

d) MH said that in the past a lot of services benefited residents of other areas. This was ceasing as an impact of contracting

Page 6 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item resources.

Question 3 - What Services Should The Council Fund?

a) MH said that without funding from the NHS it had been decided that trips to medical appointments would not be included in the council funded service.

b) MW said that he thought this was wrong as it took away disabled people’s choice. He felt it meant going back to a medical model of disability.

c) FS asked how medical transportation worked in Bristol? DP explained the NHS Patient Transport Service criteria. Some people were being refused transport to hospital because they were members of Bristol Dial-a-Ride but this did not mean that Bristol Dial-a-ride could provide the service. The current situation was confusing and clarity was needed.

d) FS said that people often failed to use hospital transport and had to ask family members to take the day off to take them. Her personal view was that she understood the position the council had taken as no contribution was being made. The situation needed to be sorted out and implemented.

e) DP said that Health and Social Care were running some pilots in the City to encourage volunteer drivers to take people to GP and hospital appointments.

f) NH said it was not a big issue with guide dog owners as the majority live within walking distance of their GP and public transport to the central eye hospital in Bristol is quite good.

g) MH referred to the proposal not to fund transport for clients of day care services. Personal budgets would include an element to pay for transport.

h) MW said he felt that this was totally wrong as having to pay for taxis to day care would impact adversely on disabled people.

i) DP advised that it is understood that future day care providers would be responsible for arranging and providing transport. It was important to clearly define what should be funded by another budget. Health and Social Care may commission transport to day care services.

j) RC-L was concerned and surprised that there was no joined up thinking between clinical commissioning teams and the council. A

Page 7 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

Agenda Discussion Points/ Outcomes & Actions Actions Item lot of disabled people need to get to medical appointments and a lot of people would fall through the net.

k) MH referred to the protected characteristics in equalities legislation. He said it would be important to minimise the impact on these groups.

l) RC-L said that a lot of people did not just fit into one box (Protected characteristic). It could be 3 or 5 boxes. Many disabled people also had other equalities issues. Isolation was a big problem. There were a lot of people with multiple impairments living on their own with no support.

m) MH said it would be useful to have some scenarios and examples. All

n) NH said he would like to see a point of contact to go to for advice on alternative ways of making journey. He planned his journey by public transport on the internet.

o) MH suggested that this might mitigate the impact of the proposal and access to information could possibly be done through CT.

4. Close and Actions

MH asked those attending to speak directly to service users, staff and volunteers and submit written responses for the consultation.

DP referred to an open consultation drop in meeting on Tuesday16th April between 12 and 2 at City Hall. He also referred to the user forums being arranged by each of the providers for their members. These would be another opportunity for service users and their members to bring their individual comments.

Actions 1) An email to be sent to all who could not attend encouraging DP written responses. Done 2) A list of dates for service user consultation meetings and the DP drop-in session to be sent to all. Done 3) MW requested electronic copy of the draft EqiA. Done JH

Appendix A

Key points relating to Community Transport from the notes received from Louise Williams (Bristol Women’s Voice) dated 11/4/13

1) Encourage exercise (example given – cycling) as first priority to older people remaining independent. Accessible conventional public transport for all should be

Page 8 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy – Consultation Report – Appendix 3

before “complex and expensive CT arrangements”. These priorities will result in far fewer needing door-to-door services.

2) Need to focus on specific needs of women – in particular, less access to private cars, daytime access to work, childcare, schooling and health. The commercial bus system is too expensive and fails to go to the places women need to go, particularly directly; multiple journeys to access facilities for those they care for as well as work in variable local settings make public transport access to reasonable quality work unviable for many women. The result is that most women are under-employed in low paid jobs, (where they are not unemployed or economically inactive). For Community Transport to be considered only for the elderly or disabled adds insult to injury. The availability of free or cheap transport on a “demand” system would make a big difference to women’s access to work, education, childcare, care for other dependents and healthcare.

Appendix B

Key points of further submission via the Bristol Multi Faith Forum dated 23/4/13

A general concern was expressed about the extent to which outcomes of the proposed strategy will be positive for disabled and BME members of society.

Referring to the Draft Equality Impact Assessment specific concerns that: a) The assessment implies that detriment to older people is somehow more important than other categories? – To check and ensure this is not implied b) Need for the council to require providers to attempt to make equal provision for all groups within Bristol society. Suggesting that currently BME groups are under- represented. – This is already stated in the draft EqiA although recognised that actual data may be hidden within group hire data – proposed services should help with reporting of this (as it is to be based on individuals) and enable necessary focus where any equality issues are revealed. c) Correctly noting the error on page 2 that section 2 should be ticks rather than ‘Yes and No’ – to amend for next version d) The importance of requiring that information is available in all the required languages as well as formats – To be included in service requirements in connection with how the council can assist in publicising services. e) Concern that GPs will not take up their responsibility if a client is unable to get to the practice – Need discussion with NHS and publicising the benefits that those GP practices already running voluntary driver schemes are receiving. Ref the Market Position Statement that: a) Comments made relating to the fact that the Market Position Statement is a snapshot in time (Summer 2012) and therefore there is already some information that is out of date. (eg PTS change to CCGs, Disabled Travel Service (DTS) now called Accessible Transport 4U) and raising concern about the legal position ref. small vehicles that are not taxis (licensed vehicles) using bus lanes (namely DTS and BDAR vehicles with less than 8 seats). b) Highlighting the wider society benefit from the outcomes that CT can to contribute to, which is the reduction in the costs to society of treating poor physical and mental health. All noted

Page 9 of 9 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 4

Community Transport commissioning strategy consultation Thursday 21 March, 2013

VOSCUR Voice and Influence Mtg held at St Werburghs Community Centre 10.00 to 11.15am

Present

Matthew Symonds: VOSCUR David Prosser: BCC Rep. from Bristol Shopmobility Rep. from Cabot, Clifton and Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership Rep. from Red Cross Rep. from the Evergreen Club

Comments from discussion

The focus on outcomes for individuals is welcome, as opposed to measuring with numbers of journeys. Outcomes are a much more valuable measure and can show how community transport can contribute to preventative measures that support maintained wellbeing.

How will outcomes be measured, there needs to be clear guidance on what is expected. The measure, whatever it is, should not be onerous on providers or users.

Dividing the city into areas raises a number of questions related to how people access the community transport, particularly for people VCS groups who may have used community transport to collect their members who live in different areas.

Would having different areas create a barrier for users if providers cannot work across the areas? Clarification would also be helpful for how community transport would work across neighbouring authority boundaries (for example South Gloucestershire).

Is there an expectation on greater collaboration, for example only one funded lead in each of the areas. How will you ensure that collaboration/partnership arrangements are formed, will market development support be provided to existing providers?

What incentive will there be for community transport providers working in different areas to collaborate?

Is any collaboration with neighbouring authorities being explored, for example joint commissioning or grant funding agreements?

When differentiating between individual hire or group hire, or individual eligibility to access community transport, how will providers be expected to assess if users are eligible under the outcomes?

Page 1 of 2

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 4

How will low income eligibility criteria be measured? This needs to be clarified for providers and users to avoid confusion and inconsistency across the city. If individual areas decided on the criteria there may be inconsistency.

If eligibility criteria were to be measured by whether people have defined medical conditions this would be a move away from the social measures of disability, and a move away from how Bristol City Council have been working (ref).

If community travel to medical appointments will no longer be eligible has any discussion taken place between medical providers? Could there be possible join up between the new community transport services and the hospital free bus?

Community transport journeys for medical treatment are a high % of journeys for some of the current providers. In some areas the may be negative impacts on health if there is a reduction in community transport to access health.

The draft strategy includes a quote that mobility transport (shop mobility) could be provided through funding from Comercial partners. This is not viable and where it has been tried in other areas it has led to reduced services.

Changes to eligibility, meaning no further support for group hire will undermine some VCS groups and make it harder for some to sustain there members involvement, this could be a particular issue for communities of interest.

If groups have some members who are eligible to use community transport but other are not, how will this work practically for example would there be a split fee, part subsidised and part full fee?

Produced by: Matthew Symonds

Page 2 of 2

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 5

Community Transport Consultation on Draft Commissioning Strategy

Summary of the Key Points raised at the Councillor Meetings on 18th March 2013 (at City Hall 16.30 to 17.30) and 21st March (also at City Hall from 16.00 to 17.00)

Present Geoff Mills (GM) – Passenger Transport Manager Peter Woodhouse (PW) – Group Manager (Services) David Prosser (DP) – Major Projects - Project Manager Pat Medcalf (P Me) – Assistant Group Manager (Services)

All ward councillors were invited and a total of five Councillors attended over the two meetings.

At both meetings, DP gave a presentation on the draft Commissioning Strategy and then asked for questions and comments. A summary of the comments raised at the two meetings were as follows:

1. Demand v Supply It was accepted that the key message from the CT surveys was that there was a very big demand for CT, but not enough provision to meet it. This means that any proposal must seek to reduce the spread of what the council is funding.

2. Eligibility

2.1 It was queried whether there should be firmer guidelines for future eligibility. It was noted that there were difficulties associated with linking membership with age or being in receipt of existing benefits. These did not take into account access to public transport or the geography of where someone lived. Benefits were changing (e.g. from DLA to PIPs) and linking eligibility with benefits might result in those with the most need not being eligible. For example, where one person receives specific help to fund their travel needs as well as a qualifying benefit, whilst others do not qualify, but need transport more.

2.2 Concern was expressed that “spreading the jam thinly” may sound right, but when looking at where current providers are (they grew up in areas of deprivation and disadvantage) there was a danger that citywide provision would mean that people who most need CT would end up with fewer journeys. It was noted that regardless of who provided CT in the future they would need to consult with the community to make sure that CT was focussed on areas of most need. The intention was to improve the current situation and make sure there were no areas that were left with no access to CT at all.

Page 1 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 5

2.3 The aim is that the council would fund a core element of CT and providers would then be able to develop other services. This would give several income streams and would enable them to become more sustainable and less dependent on Council funding.

3. Medical Appointments

3.1 It was asked if it would be possible for the Council to support trips to hospital clinics if all outpatients were dropped at the clinic when it opened and picked up together when it ended?

3.2 It was thought that people would be prepared to wait. It was noted that one reason the strategy proposed the ceasing of funding for medical appointments was that the NHS might bring funding to the table to support it. It was noted that CT providers in South Bristol are already doing this for South Bristol Community Hospital. This is not funded directly by the Council. The money had come from the hospital through Section 106 planning obligations.

3.3 The issue of the tight medical criteria for hospital transport was noted as a concern, with many journeys not qualifying, like those to GPs.

4. Removal of free travel to concessionary pass holders

4.1 There was a discussion on the proposal to remove free travel for concessionary pass holders. It was noted that some providers get funding from elsewhere. However, many grants and donations tended to be on a short-term basis or perhaps to buy new vehicles. An example was given where the Mede Sprint had started with funding from the NHS which had then stopped. The Council had had to take over so that the service did not cease.

4.2 It was noted that currently free travel for concessionary pass holders on CT is is a local scheme and is funded by the Council and not the Department for Transport. It was noted that this had been introduced 3 or 4 years ago. Reimbursements for concessionary travel have gradually increased but, as all were aware, there is now a need to look carefully at everything the Council is funding.

4.3 It was noted that the proposal to remove free travel for concessionary pass holders could be controversial, particularly if grant funding had to be reduced too, as it had only been introduced a few years ago. It was noted that the national scheme had issues, and national government will be looking at these towards the end of the current parliament. It was felt that this was something that central government should sort out. At the moment free concessionary travel passes were a universal benefit for everyone over a certain age, but if this could not be afforded then some eligibility criteria would have to be introduced.

Page 2 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 5

4.4 It was noted that one of the difficulties was that a reimbursement of £1.80 per one way trip was a good figure for a short local shopping trip with a full minibus but it did not reflect the cost of an individually booked trip of longer distance across the City.

4.5 It was noted that if free concessionary travel passes could only be used on conventional public transport this would be of no use to those whose mobility problems meant that it was impossible for them to use public transport.

4.6 It was recognised that for some it is more of an issue than others. The quality of the service being provided meant that many have said they are prepared to pay. Organisations might feel they could have more control if they could fix their own charges.

4.7 It was noted that the team were going to visit user groups from all organisations currently in receipt of grants to explore the impact on different groups. There were particular issues when setting charges for those on low incomes and carers who needed to travel with members.

4.8 It was suggested that the cost comparison should be with taxis rather than buses. This would show a massive difference. It was not only a rights issue but of great importance in enabling people to stay in their own homes longer and this offered great savings as compared with residential care. The problem is that there is no currently adequate way to measure and highlight the potential cost savings to other services. Community transport is a very important in terms of getting people out and about and tacking feelings of social isolation. It was agreed that there was a social value in the journey itself as well as the benefit of getting to a particular destination. Some very strategic assessments have been made in other counties suggesting £1 spent on community transport would save £3 on other statutory services.

5. Charges and those on low incomes and carers

It was appreciated that CT should be for the disabled and pensioners, but concern was also expressed about people who were struggling at the edges of the poverty trap where every penny counted. Need for a facility to deal with reduced fares for those on low incomes and also for carers if free travel using bus passes is removed.

6. Taxis are too expensive to be a reasonable alternative.

It was noted from experience of temporarily not being able to use conventional public transport that a return trip to City Hall had cost £25.

Page 3 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 5

7. Supermarkets and other private funding It was asked if supermarkets could contribute to Community Transport. It was noted that they could sponsor and donate vehicles but there are restrictions related to the licensing of CT vehicles that make it difficult for a profit-making organisation to fund them long-term. It was noted that some supermarkets do run their own buses.

8. Area basis and the risk to the smaller organisations

8.1 Concerned was expressed that the commissioning strategy would reduce the number of small local organisations providing the service. If the City was split into three areas then they could collaborate as a consortium. If it was split into more, but smaller, areas then they might be able to bid alone. It was agreed that it would be very important to preserve the goodwill and enthusiasm of current volunteers.

8.2 It was asked whether the strategy would increase the number of community transport providers to help areas like Southmead. It was noted that although the survey results had shown that there was a need for the service across the City, there is currently very uneven coverage. There are more groups in South Bristol in particular. The strategy is seeking to produce something fairer across the City.

9. Long Term Funding, Grants and Contracts and Sustainability

9.1 It was noted that the intention is to move to a competitive grant process to fund a 3 to 5 year period with a service level agreement. Some providers use the Council’s grant to obtain matched funding. Queried how a 3 year commitment would be possible with the overall council budget pressure and more cuts to come. Can the CT budget be protected? This would have to be possible to allow the commissioning to happen, in the same way that bus contracts can last for this length of time and longer. Owing to the council budget issues it is not known how much money is available and this has to change.

9.2 It was noted that if too much has to be specified there would have to be a contract process rather than a grant. Whether grant or contract, the key is that it would be a competitive process. Over recent years there had not been any competition. There had not been an assessment of value for money and providers had not been properly accountable for funds spent. This would have to change.

9.3 It was explained that the intention was to try and get away from measuring value by cost per passenger journey. In the past it had all been about passenger numbers, but this approach does not work with CT. It is a very different sort of service. An outcomes-based approach to improving social inclusion and quality of life would measure the value of CT to

Page 4 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 5

individuals and the contribution CT makes to the prevention of need for statutory services.

9.4 Monitoring and assessment information would have to be able to give evidence e.g. that more people would have to go into residential homes if they were not receiving service. It is difficult to measure how much it would cost if CT provision was not available.

10. Wheelchair and Mobility aid hire

Current charges were discussed for hire of mobility equipment. It was noted that disabled people were likely to go shopping less frequently than the able bodied and suggested that they may therefore spend more per trip.

11. Volunteers

It was noted that it should not be forgotten that the existing CT groups use a number of volunteers and also, as a result, offer people a route back into work after they had started with them as volunteers.

12. Neighbourhood Partnership Involvement

12.1 It was asked if Neighbourhood Partnerships could look at their areas and stimulate the formation of new groups where there is most need. It was noted that HSC are assisting pilots where volunteers used their cars to take people to GP surgeries. This happens a lot elsewhere in the country, particularly in more rural communities.

12.2 It was noted that Neighbourhood Partnerships were a good way of finding where funding is particularly needed in order to develop local services in a community. This had happened with the Section 106 money for South Bristol Community Hospital, which had been discussed by the Hengrove and Stockwood Neighbourhood Partnership. For this reason all the area-based options were centred on groupings of Neighbourhood Partnership areas.

12.3 Concern was expressed that Neighbourhood Partnerships do not have enough money to allocate funds for community transport. Section106 money seems to be a matter of luck and difficult to explain in relation to where new developments are happening. It is also very often short term in nature.

12.4 It was thought that Neighbourhood Partnerships could not provide funding but could express the needs of the neighbourhood. They could also prioritise and encourage volunteers.

Page 5 of 5 Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 6

Summary of response to the open lunchtime drop in session at City Hall on 16th April 2013 (12.00 to 14.00)

Officers Available D Prosser, P Medcalf, Kay Russell and D Robinson (Part)

Comments made Rep. from Bristol Women’s Voice – speaking for women with disabilities and needing accessible transport.

1. Efficiency and quality of the services

Concern expressed that the current system does not efficiently use the vehicle resources available. There was a discussion about ‘dead mileage’, logistics and the need for a comparison of mileage of the vehicle against ’passenger carrying’ mileage to show efficiency. It was also suggested that it would be good to have regular routes that pick people up and drop them off at Cabot Circus.

Need to ensure that drivers are polite and courteous. This is based on the experience of CT from a friend who attended a women’s voice meeting.

2. Eligibility

Agreed the need to have more thought on how CT is used in future and targeted to enable those who can’t use it at present (and need it) to be able to. Agreed with the social inclusion aim of the proposals, on the basis that “loneliness is almost an illness”.

3. Area basis

Liked the three areas, but need to ensure that the providers in each proposed area provide similar quality of service?

What about journeys from one area to the next – an issue? Visiting friends etc?

Need for a wider Central area that all can travel to. Suggested Museums and Park St /City Hall in the West to Champion’s Square/Cabot Circus in the East all linking to Shopmobility. Suggest this was clarified with a blown up detail of the central area.

4. Charging

Intention is to not continue free travel to concessionary pass holders. This will allow providers to charge to suit their business plan and adjust charges as they needed.

Would it cost more for journeys across the boundary? This would be up to the provider.

Page 1 of 1

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

Summary of responses and comments from Providers – Combination of individual meetings and formal written responses during the consultation period

1.0 Introduction

1.1 This is a summary of the individual meetings and formal written responses received from existing supported providers during the consultation period. Some providers declined to take up the offer of an individual meeting and/or to submit a formal written response, either on the basis that they were happy that the user forums and questionnaire responses will have covered their concerns or that they were aware of the formal response of another provider and fully supported their submission.

1.2 Owing to concerns from some providers about the information discussed being considered commercially sensitive, the following information and comments are a combination of all providers responses with no reference to the organisation making the comment.

2.0 General

2.1 All providers recognised that there will always be far more demand than every provider together can supply. At best the strategy can focus the Council funding on priority users and make opportunities for providers to widen the range of their services through other funding and full cost recovery. One suggested that whatever is provided or funded, there will always be people who want more.

2.2 All providers have welcomed the recognition given to Community Transport as a vital part of the overall transport provision in the city. All noted the need to ensure that the most vulnerable people in society, who cannot use conventional public transport, are able to travel around. This helps to ensure that they maintain independence and wellbeing.

2.3 All providers were able to agree to the suggested outcomes (and most had been involved in their development) and were very positive about the aims of ‘Community Transport’ expressed in section 1.04 of the strategy for consultation.

2.4 Providers were open to presenting detail of their experience to help the council to gain as balanced a view as possible of what can be achieved with a limited budget.

Page 1 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

3.0 Concerns relating to the Questionnaire

3.1 Eligibility

3.1.1 All the providers agreed with the preferred option for the eligibility criteria (the “social model of disability”). No provider supported the alternative suggested (a benefits, age or defined disability based combination of criteria for assessing eligibility) or suggested any alternatives.

3.1.2 All also expressed concern that the two key elements,’ difficult or impossible to use public transport’ and ‘not having access to a car’ needed clear guidance on what these covered. Many examples were given for consideration in defining this guidance which are covered in more detail in other summaries. For public transport these included not being able to get to bus stops owing to steep hills and distance, not being able to get onto the buses, being able to travel out, but not return with heavy shopping etc. For ‘access to a car’ these included help from others with cars, cars that can no longer be driven, not being available to the person etc.

3.1.3 It was noted that the mobility aid and wheelchair hire would need very different criteria (more open), as the use of public transport and cars is not a related issue.

3.1.4 Some expressed concern that some of their members are primarily excluded from public transport through cost and very low household incomes. These were concerned that the strategy does not include low income younger people without disabilities, even though the lack of, in these cases, affordable transport, is also significant in terms of mental health and wellbeing. This would also have a negative impact on their dependents and/or family members. This group of users would also include lone parents with young children. In particular the concern expressed was that not including these people would undermine the “maintaining positive social and family relationships’ outcome.

3.2 Area Proposal and Boundaries

3.2.1 All providers recognised the need for priority to be given to local journeys.

3.2.2 Some were whole-heartedly in favour of the three area approach, stating that this will enable efficiency and value for money, whilst facilitating and maintaining strong, and in many areas, well established community relationships. Others noted that services had moved to be citywide some years ago from a system where people had been restricted to their own

Page 2 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

locality (~3 miles) and the city centre and the difficulties had been for disabled people needing longer journeys and the cost of doing so.

3.2.3 Concern was expressed by many at the risk that areas would impede people who wanted to visit friends and relatives in another area.

3.2.4 Some advocated keeping a citywide service to ensure consistency of fares, simplify travel arrangements at boundaries and provide a one stop place for enquiries and information. It was recognised that this limits the market and competition and would not necessarily help with provision of longer journeys as doing so would reduce the availability of vehicles.

3.2.5 Some noted and agreed with the idea for a drop off/link hub at the City Centre to transfer to other area providers and the mobility aid hire. It was also suggested that other locations be considered for transfer.

3.2.6 One provider requested that consideration be given to the implications for disabled people of having to transfer between vehicles at these drop off points.

3.2.7 It was also suggested that not being able to travel anywhere in the city as a disabled person could also be considered an equality issue. It was suggested that a pragmatic approach might be to consider journeys that can be taken using one vehicle by public transport and applying this to users of CT by offering similar journeys.

3.2.8 It was noted that for some disabled people CT is the only available way to travel the longer distances, especially during the hours when accessible taxis are focussed on transport to and from schools for those with special educational needs.

3.2.9 Another provider was very concerned about the idea that funding could be allocated to the areas (whether 3, 5 or 7 areas) on the basis of the number of older people (This was mentioned in the strategy as an alternative to the simple provision of equal amounts to each area). Their concern was that this could imply that varying levels of deprivation/disadvantage would not influence the funding split and suggested that this should be a key consideration.

3.3 What services are to be council funded

3.3.1 The majority agreed that demand responsive door to door transport for a wide range of purposes is vital to ensure that older people, disabled or ill people and those on low income are able to meet their travel needs. This is to prevent isolation and deteriorating health.

Page 3 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

3.3.2 Some queried whether the strategy was proposing to support ‘door to door’ only and what that actually means. It was recognised that outcomes can be achieved through a combination of complimentary services with a priority focus on those who need door to door journeys. The ‘demand responsive’ part of the strategy definition indicates that a wider approach may be preferable as long as the highest priority user is not excluded.

3.3.3 Some explained that the Community Bus approach could serve many of the potential eligible users in a more cost effective way. Was the strategy precluding this approach? The answer was ‘no’ in all cases. The emphasis is on outcomes for individuals and prioritising those needing the door to door service, but recognised that many others cannot get to existing public transport but could reach a mutually agreed meeting place (pick up point) much closer to their home as long as they could be brought back to their door with heavy bags if needed. The maximising of the availability of this sort of journey would help to meet the required outcomes for more people.

3.3.4 Some were concerned that the ‘ring and ride’ approach, with first come first served, limited the ability to maximise journeys. It is recognised that this is the type of service that the council is trying to prioritise its funds towards specifically because it is not easy to maximise journeys and hence deliver them without Council support.

3.4 No longer supporting group hire

3.4.1 Some group services are individual door to door services as they have individual outcomes for each passenger. The distinction between these and group hire bookings needs to be made clear.

3.4.2 Some providers fully agreed with the council’s approach to this and agreed that group hire should be a full cost recovery service.

3.4.3 Others suggested that where group transport is concerned there could be “huge deprivation and equality issues” in not supporting it. It was considered important that there is a way of capturing the outcomes for people who are eligible for the service funded by the council but are using group transport.

3.4.4 One suggestion as a partial solution was the use of bus pass numbers to indicate where users of group hire who were in the list of target eligible individuals could be included?

3.4.5 Concern was expressed by some providers that if prices for group transport had to increase it would be small, non-constituted (like lunch clubs) and most hard to reach BME groups that would suffer most. Bigger organisations with

Page 4 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

their own budgets and possibly grant/contract income would be OK. Other funding sources are becoming increasingly hard to find.

3.5 No longer supporting trips to medical appointments

3.5.1 Some providers were concerned that the demand for medical appointments was taking over their service, and these (in most cases, unless the medical centre happens to be in the High street or near the supermarkets) were the most inefficient to provide and were better designed for single occupancy vehicles.

3.5.2 One provider gave examples of the issues that they have faced over the last few years where demand has been increasing with no funding provision to support an additional service. This is especially evident when new medical centres have opened or specialist services relocated, but also as a result of changes to the medical criteria for existing health transport.

3.5.3 The possibility of joint funding with health was queried. Could ‘Public Health’, now part of the council, be asked to contribute? Also could NHS commission services to fill the gaps?

3.5.4 Others expressed significant concern that many who had specifically joined the services to enable them to get to medical appointments would have no other alternative and find it impossible to attend appointments. It was suggested that this would have significant health impacts.

3.5.5 There was recognition from some that the council should not be funding journeys that are required for medical service purposes. Also that community transport should not become a second medical transport service at the expense of its intended purpose. However, it was recognised that the local transport to GPs needs to have an alternative to enable the existing demand to be covered.

3.6 Mobility aid and wheelchair hire – specific issues

3.6.1 Those who commented on this item were very positive about the strategy proposal. They ‘echoed’ the aims of the strategy to promote social inclusion and quality of life. They welcomed the recognition of the importance of this service to those who need it and to enable access for those people in the City Centre.

3.6.2 All agreed that it should be funded separately.

Page 5 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

3.6.3 Those who responded also agreed that the outcomes approach will illustrate much more clearly the importance and benefits of the service. It was agreed that this information would be best achieved through twice yearly surveys.

3.6.4 It was agreed that the ‘social model of disability’ was again the best eligibility criteria for use for this service.

3.6.5 There was concern expressed that the intention in the strategy may be to move towards ‘the commercial sector’ funding this service in future. Many examples were given (benchmarking research) as to where this approach had failed or resulted in a poor, sporadic or restricted availability of service. Other places have staff directly employed by the local authorities but still are open fewer days that Bristol can currently offer.

3.6.6 The link with the providers for each area to access central Bristol was also positively received with a note that this is already happening with many of the existing providers and the link with the free Hospital bus (UHBT) at Champions Square.

3.6.7 It was suggested that there should be a couple of other locations for this in the Central area as not all users are heading for Cabot Circus. This would be an extension to what is already provided to link with Broadmead, the bus station and other arrival points.

3.6.8 It was noted that the current level of funding for this service but for a longer term would be ideal for the development of the service and retention of availability.

3.7 Ability to complete the questionnaire

3.7.1 Some providers expressed concern about peoples’ ability to complete the questionnaire and what statistical information could be gained with so many open questions. Some providers made a special effort to assist people to understand the issues and help them respond.

3.7.2 Some providers had carried out their own surveys of people’s responses to their own proposals. For example what impact would it have if they were to provide a service but charge £3.60 for a return journey. Details are picked up in other sections or in the user forum details.

Page 6 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

4.0 Other Issues / Concerns

4.1 Free Concessionary Travel with bus passes

4.1.1 Many of the providers said that the proposal to remove the rebate for concessionary pass holders was an Equality issue. It was felt that the proposal disadvantaged those who are most needy.

4.1.2 It was noted that one hope would be that if users with bus passes could use public transport for their journey they would do so because it would still be free. Some considered that based on their current users there would be few who could make that choice.

4.1.3 It was noted by one provider that many people have been helped to apply for bus passes specifically to use them on CT.

4.1.4 It was noted that this would be reversing a decision made by the council three or four years ago.

4.1.5 It was recognised that it makes it more difficult for the council to manage/cap its budget and that having the same rebate for varying length journeys is a problem.

4.1.7 It was noted that many users do consider that they should be paying for the special quality of service they are receiving and that many users who travel for free could pay.

4.1.8 It was also considered important by some because it provides an incentive to provide more journeys. It was suggested that a rebate should be retained to top up fare prices (say 60p) and to incentivise providers to do more trips.

4.1.9 One provider considered that this proposal would force the introduction of charges in an area where the impact would jeopardise the service, prevent people from getting to cheaper shops and make worse the increasing demand for food banks, as those with reduced benefits cannot afford the basics, and certainly could not afford to pay to travel.

4.1.10 One provider ran their own survey asking what impact being charged (at the then current concessionary rebate rate of £3.60 a return journey) would have on their members, with a strong response (82%) that this would be difficult or impossible to afford, with a major impact on their travel ability (67%) and their ability to maintain their independence (73%). It should be noted that under the proposed strategy the fare structure would be for the provider to decide what was reasonable to charge.

Page 7 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

4.2 Means Testing

4.2.1 All providers considered that, if journeys were no longer free, provision for people on low incomes must be thought about carefully.

4.2.2 All who commented said that CT providers could not go down the route of means testing as it would be a ‘nightmare of bureaucracy’ and very difficult to administer.

4.3 Fare Setting by providers

4.3.1 Those who commented were concerned that this would lead to unequal provision and different pricing in different areas. It was suggested that “It would be a “postcode lottery” and against the spirit of partnership working. In one case an example was given of how this had happened in Hull.

4.3.2 It was understood that the rationale was to enable 3 to 5 year business plans and to help providers to have better control on their futures.

4.3.3 In areas of deprivation it was felt that this would jeopardise the services and limit the number of people they could carry. It should be noted that the assumption made here was that providers would not propose to provide free travel.

4.3.4 There was some discussion about the relative merits of fares, annual membership fees and a combination of both, including the approaches that might be taken by different providers.

4.4 Volunteers and Volunteering

4.4.1 Some stated that there needs to be a recognition that reliance on volunteers does not match well with a contracted service. There are a lot of added ‘HR’ issues with running a service with volunteers and they should be seen as supplementing, but not fully supporting, the service. Examples were included based on hours of work against proposed hours of operation and explaining that this would require a major increase in available volunteers.

4.4.2 The motivation for volunteers may be different and the opportunity for moving towards paid work is significant. Volunteers are a significant part of the provision, but providers should not be over-reliant on them. There needs to be an expectation that they will move on and a provider should not depend on keeping people who have gained the confidence and skills and evidence of work to allow them to move on to paid employment.

4.4.3 It was also said that some use volunteers for driving and passenger assistance, but not to manage and administrate the service and agreed that

Page 8 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

an over-reliance on volunteers is inherently risky. Particularly as there is no contractual arrangement/financial benefit that would ensure that volunteers keep working fixed or regular hours. Others use volunteers for the administration and not for driving where contracts are involved.

4.4.4 Some quoted benchmarking work with other authorities that recognised that it is usual to operate with a mix of volunteers and paid staff with financial support from the local authority.

4.5 Hours of operation

4.5.1 It was noted that the questionnaire did not refer to the core hours of service. The full draft strategy mentions 9:30 – 4pm, Monday to Friday (Paragraph 7.04). Providers noted that users will be concerned about when they travel as well as where they travel. It was emphasised that this was suggested core hours and it would be up to the potential provider to put forward their proposal for hours to suit their knowledge of the market and business plan.

4.5.2 One provider suggested that core hours ought to be 9am to 6pm.

4.5.3 It was also noted that it should be made clear what hours relate to the council funded service and what to other services like group bookings. Any service not included in the council funding could also be at whatever hours the potential provider proposes to offer.

4.6 Collaborative/Partnership Working

4.6.1 It was recognised that the aim is to build on the knowledge and expertise of existing CT groups and that by working together this could be better achieved.

4.6.2 Some providers were clearly open to and saw some of the benefits of partnership working, but for some becoming joined or contracting together as a formal consortium felt like a step too far.

4.6.3 Some recognised the value, but were concerned that experience in other services in Bristol of being forced into consortium working has been wholly negative. It was stated that even where funds had been made available, consortia working requires a lot of time and thought and all providers have limited capacity to do this.

4.6.4 There was a request for help with legal assistance from the Council for this and concern that none of the providers had the answers on what could or could not be done. It was noted that VOSCUR was picking up this assistance work where interest is expressed, that there had been some advice from the council on options for collaborative working. One provider suggested there

Page 9 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

were other approaches that had not been covered and was advised to discuss these with those who could advise.

4.7 Grants or Contracts

4.7.1 One provider said that the grants process would be much more straightforward, would reduce the amount of time required away from service delivery to complete the documentation and pointed out that they can be just as effective in ensuring quality.

4.7.2 Another provider suggested that a grant process is likely to be more complex to assess, with more intangibles and a more difficult assessment process for the council.

4.8 Allocation of funds to the areas

4.8.1 One provider was very concerned about the idea that funding could be allocated to the areas (whether 3, 5 or 7 areas) on the basis of the number of older people (as an alternative to the simple provision of equal amounts to each). Their concern was that varying levels of deprivation/disadvantage would not influence the funding split and suggested that this should be a key consideration

4.9 Evaluating bids/grant offers

4.9.1 Concern was expressed about how bids will be able to be compared in a fair way. The quality verses quantity assessment (quantity in terms of number of trips and number of available vehicles)

4.9.2 What would the council’s line be concerning patchy provision in areas as it will take time to develop into areas that have had little service up to now?

4.9.3 It was recognised that the Council needs to be able to demonstrate that it was getting what it paid for. Assessment criteria would have to be developed that enabled this.

4.9.4 One provider was concerned that producing an excellent ‘bid document’ does not guarantee the standard of delivery.

4.10 Decommissioning and TUPE

4.10.1 One provider noted that if there was a resulting need to decommission existing services once the funding has been agreed, this could be complex as many providers may try to continue to run services unfunded by the council in any area.

Page 10 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy - Consultation Report – Appendix 7

4.10.2 TUPE may apply to some staff, but again it will be complex as what is provided is so varied. It was suspected that it would not apply to many existing staff.

4.11 Boundary changes

4.11.1 It was queried whether the potential boundary changes in 2016 had been factored in as they could cause problems later in the process.

4.12 Monitoring of journey purpose

4.12.1 All agreed that it would be vital to monitor the purpose of trips and for this to be consistent through all providers.

4.13 Short term Council funding

4.13.1 Concern was expressed as to whether by the time we get to the commissioning process there will be any money in the Council budgets for this service from April 2014?

4.13.2 This query cannot at present be answered, owing to the zero based budgeting process and the significant savings that are needed to be made. However, it is recognised that a lot of Council services are not statutory and indications are that the Mayor and many councillors still support community transport and recognise its preventative value for reducing costs to other Council services.

4.14 Long term future of Council funding

4.14.1 Some expressed concern that after the 3 to 5 year period this would be the end of Council funding?

4.14.2 The council recognises that it would be very difficult to operate a door to door service without any subsidy. However, again the future for local council funded services after 2017/18 is dependent on the outcome of the budget reductions required in the next 3 years.

Page 11 of 11

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 8

Community Transport – HSC Staff Meeting

The following are expanded notes of a meeting held by BCC Health and Social care staff to consider the benefits of community transport and the impact of potential changes.

1) Benefits to Health and Social Care of Community Transport provision • Prevention of ill health by preventing social isolation • Staying active by facilitating exercise and physical wellbeing • Enabling access to low level preventative services (e.g. luncheon clubs) • Maintaining social support networks • Reducing demand on funded services • Enabling increased choice for service users (e.g. access to culturally sensitive services)

All these have the potential to reduce the risk of CT users becoming eligible for HSC services as FACs eligible at ‘Critical’ or ‘Substantial’.

2) Shopping Services HSC will sometimes fund a shopping service (as part of a domiciliary care package) where a Service User is not able to shop for themselves, thus enabling them to remain independent in their own home. This would only be funded if the Service User meets FACs eligibility at 'Critical' or 'Substantial'.

3) Excursions / Trips out

HSC fund community outreach services under the Community Support Service (CSS) contract. Under this type of service it is possible for both individual and group excursions to take place. Most independent sector and in-house services (day centres and community hubs) have their own vehicles, but some organisations (particularly voluntary sector) do utilise group hire minibus services from BCT both for transport to/from day services and to arrange trips/excursions.

4) Preventative services

HSC only provide funding to serve those who have been assessed as having critical and substantial needs.

Prevention funding by HSC is small scale, providing organisations with one off seed funding to set up a service which is expected to be self-sustaining. (Therefore CT may be one of the key preventative services helping to prevent people becoming ‘critical’ or ‘substantial’)

5) Duplication of funding?

Duplication of funding may only occur by proxy. (i.e. by funding day centres (who have their own transport) and our own in house services (including community hubs etc)

Page 1 of 1

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 9

Community Transport – Responses/Comments from other Health-related correspondence and meetings during the consultation period

1) Meeting with the Chair of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (UHB - formerly UBHT), and the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board – 27th February 2013

Briefed on the draft strategy and provided with copies of consultation documents. Proposals and options summarised and the following key points were raised.

• The value of voluntary driver schemes was noted. Advised that a voluntary driver scheme also runs out of the hospital. • There was strong disagreement to the option of an EU procurement process. • That some areas of Bristol have no other transport for people to get to work and other uses and therefore the eligibility criteria or ‘added value’ provision should reflect this. • UHB has a clear brief to seek to reduce the number of people coming into hospital as millions could be saved through preventative services that help to keep frail elderly people well. There is money allocated to achieving this aim. There should be scope to work together to achieve the desired outcomes. • That the strategy would be taken to the UHB trustees to produce a statement of how it might affect UHB. • Suggested that BCC contact NBHT for a similar briefing. • That the Health and Well-being Board portfolio is just developing. Would like to be updated further as it progresses. Made aware of the coming councillor briefings and arranged to brief H&Wb Board. • That UBHT is very keen to be involved and would like to be part of the formative process for future services.

No separate response was received from UHB during the consultation period (refer to 5) below)

2) Bristol Health and Wellbeing Board – 11th April 2013

Members of the Health and Wellbeing Board were briefed on the consultation and the potential implications on the draft commissioning strategy as an information item at this meeting.

Members were provided with copies of the consultation documents and urged to respond to the consultation. There were no direct responses received (other than from Bristol NHS CCG in 5) below). Any other responses will have been included in previous appendices to this report. (Minutes of this meeting are publically accessible online)

Page 1 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 9

3) Physical and Sensory Impairment Partnership Board – 15th April 2013

Members of the Physical and Sensory Impairment Partnership Board were briefed on the consultation and the potential implications of the draft commissioning strategy at this meeting (Item 2).

Members were requested to make their responses to the consultation. The only specific comment at the meeting (from the representative of NHS Bristol PCT) was that the CT commissioning “strategy should be committed to community involvement overall”. No other direct responses were received. Any other responses will have been included in previous appendices to this report.

4) North Bristol NHS Trust (NBHT) – 18th April 2013

The NBHT transport Manager was briefed on the draft commissioning strategy and in particular the proposal in respect of medical appointments was noted.

It was also noted that BCC had met with NHS commissioners and GWAS as part of the surveys and market analysis during 2012 to understand the Patient Transport Service (PTS) and the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) for refunding costs of those on low incomes who do not qualify for PTS and that the quality of information for HTCS had recently been improved.

The following points were raised: • NHBT operates a help desk for booking PTS. This tends to deal with transport for ‘on day’ discharge. GWAS (The PTS provider) struggles to cope with this. NBHT also operates 3 ambulances for this purpose. • Undertook to liaise with colleagues who deal with out-patients transport to comment on whether the CT strategy is likely to cause any problem. • It was felt that people may use CT if they wished to bring a relative or friend to hospital with them. This kind of non-medical escort might not be allowed to travel on PTS as they would not have a medical need and would be taking up a seat. It is also understood that PTS limits bags. • Confirmed that no one qualifies under PTS for travel to GP appointments. • It was agreed that it is not clear what transport can be used for medical appointments. • It was noted that the surveys indicated how many respondents used CT for medical appointments and from the details in the user survey appendices it was estimated that some 200 had specifically used CT to get to hospital (of over 1000 respondents who had used CT for medical appointments in the last year) with around 40 specifically referring to Southmead or Frenchay Hospitals. However, these responses could not detail how often, and hence how many journeys were made. • It was suspected that this was not a significant number, but liaison with the out-patients manager may reveal more.

Page 2 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 9

• There was a discussion about transport to GPs. The GP tests eligibility for PTS to hospital for the first appointment. The responsibility for eligibility then transfers to receiving departments at the hospital. The GPs therefore have a gatekeeping role. They are not budget holders but are accountable. Some have worked hard to bring the numbers using PTS down.

Advised that it would be best to approach what is now NHS Clinical Commissioning Group as they are now the key to NHS commissioning in the Bristol Area (A couple of contact names were given)

No separate response was received from NHBT during the consultation period (refer to 5) below)

5) NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

Various telephone and e-mail communications with contacts led to confirmation that a formal response would be made to the consultation from NHS CCG.

A formal response was received on 28th May (including copy of a letter dated 23rd May) expressing concern about the proposal and requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the issues.

The following key comments were made in the letter: • Concern was expressed at the proposal to “stop community transport for medical appointments”, making the point that these are considered community needs that are “outside the remit of the NHS”. • That the two services that the NHS provide (PTS and HTCS) are complemented by the service provided by Community transport. CT provides a different service for patients related to social need. • That the NHS CCG feel strongly that the services complement each other, and would not wish for the local population to have this service removed from them. • Advised that following NHS reorganisation, budget responsibility has been divided between NHS CCG and NHS England for the commissioning of different elements of healthcare services in Bristol. • That there are complexities and reputational and operational risks which should be discussed urgently.

A meeting was held on 8th July with NHS CCG representatives (A representative from NHS England was also invited but was unable to attend). The key points raised were:

• Trips to GPs are not considered Healthcare. • It was noted that consideration needs to be given to frailer people who are unable to leave their homes without assistance and that GP services need to be accessible to their local populations.

Page 3 of 4

Community Transport Commissioning Strategy Consultation Report – Appendix 9

• It was suggested that CT may be providing for more hospital out-patient trips than regular treatment visits. • It was noted that CT was unlikely to stop providing for medical appointments. They would not continue to be funded by the Council and would therefore either cost the user on a full cost recovery basis, or need to be funded by other sources. • It was noted that the letter referred to the service to Knowle West Health Park. This had initially been funded by the NHS, but funding had been withdrawn and, in times of better finances, the Council had stepped in to prevent the service ceasing. • That the Council has no option other than to prioritise where its limited funding can provide best value and this is the preventative service proposed in the draft commissioning strategy. • It was agreed that it may be best to work with individual GP practices rather than an overall basis (e.g. the volunteer driver schemes) and noted that NHS England is very new at present and this should be an overall NHS view. • It was agreed that all other potential sources of funding must be considered. • It was agreed that more data needed to be collected to consider the size of the problem before considering a suitable approach. It was agreed to send NHS a summary of all currently available data from the 2012 CT market analysis and to seek more detail from providers where possible. • NHS CCG undertook to keep NHS England informed and involved in discussions.

Data on 2010/11 medical appointments was sent the following week. Further surveys and analysis of provider data have been carried out to gain better estimates of the numbers of journeys being provided by CT and the estimated split between primary (GPs Dentists, Clinics etc) and secondary (Hospitals etc) healthcare. This information is now with the NHS for consideration.

At the time of publication, communications are on-going to consider the latest available data. A request has been made formally for a joint statement from the NHS organisations that can be considered as part of the decision-making process.

Page 4 of 4