Managers of vital services for disabled people say more Portsmouth residents must make use of them or they will be cut.
Dial-a-Ride and Shopmobility help people who struggle to move get out and about in the community by offering mini-bus rides and mobility scooters.
Community Transport provides cheap bus hire for any group to go on day trips out of the city.
But the services, which are subsidised by Portsmouth City Council, rely on small fees paid by users to cover costs.
And managers say many people don't know they exist, meaning they struggle to make ends meet.
Craig Beetlestone, transport manager for Dial-a-Ride and Community First, said: 'The benefits of these services are enormous – they give people freedom and independence.
'We want people to realise we are here, and the message is use us or lose us.'
Any disabled person who struggles with public transport can use Dial-a-Ride to pick them up from their front door and take them anywhere in Portsmouth for £2.
And for another £1.50 they can be met at a time of their choosing and taken home to their front door.
Bus tokens are accepted.
Trained and CRB-checked drivers help people get into the fully-adapted buses, make sure they are strapped in and offer friendly conversation.
Mr Beetlestone added: 'It gives people the chance to interact socially, and get out in the community rather than sitting in their flats.
'Safety is our priority - and giving people dignity as well.'
Shopmobility offers scooters for hire by the day, week – or for longer – and people are trained how to use them.
Youngsters with temporary disabilities, such as a broken leg, can use them as well as older and permanently disabled people.
One mother even hired one after a caesarean section left her struggling to get around.
Co-ordinator Traci-Ann Haynes said: 'People think it is just about shopping, but just 10 minutes of training can provide people with a lifetime of independence to get into the community – some people use them to go up and down the seafront, just to get out.
'It allows them to be part of the community rather than stuck behind closed doors.
'We have people come along who say they will never be able to do it – we are there to give them confidence to get some independence back.'
INFORMATION
- To contact Portsmouth Shopmobility phone (023) 9281 6973 or email shopmobility@community1st.org.uk. Scooters can also be provided for events, functions and festivals.
- For Dial-a-Ride, phone (023) 9287 7146 and for Community Transport - cheap group travel - phone (023) 9287 7308.
Community Transport provides cheap bus hire for any group to go on day trips out of the city.
But the services, which are subsidised by Portsmouth City Council, rely on small fees paid by users to cover costs.
And managers say many people don't know they exist, meaning they struggle to make ends meet.
Craig Beetlestone, transport manager for Dial-a-Ride and Community First, said: 'The benefits of these services are enormous – they give people freedom and independence.
'We want people to realise we are here, and the message is use us or lose us.'
Any disabled person who struggles with public transport can use Dial-a-Ride to pick them up from their front door and take them anywhere in Portsmouth for £2.
And for another £1.50 they can be met at a time of their choosing and taken home to their front door.
Bus tokens are accepted.
Trained and CRB-checked drivers help people get into the fully-adapted buses, make sure they are strapped in and offer friendly conversation.
Mr Beetlestone added: 'It gives people the chance to interact socially, and get out in the community rather than sitting in their flats.
'Safety is our priority - and giving people dignity as well.'
Shopmobility offers scooters for hire by the day, week – or for longer – and people are trained how to use them.
Youngsters with temporary disabilities, such as a broken leg, can use them as well as older and permanently disabled people.
One mother even hired one after a caesarean section left her struggling to get around.
Co-ordinator Traci-Ann Haynes said: 'People think it is just about shopping, but just 10 minutes of training can provide people with a lifetime of independence to get into the community – some people use them to go up and down the seafront, just to get out.
'It allows them to be part of the community rather than stuck behind closed doors.
'We have people come along who say they will never be able to do it – we are there to give them confidence to get some independence back.'
INFORMATION
- To contact Portsmouth Shopmobility phone (023) 9281 6973 or email shopmobility@community1st.org.uk. Scooters can also be provided for events, functions and festivals.
- For Dial-a-Ride, phone (023) 9287 7146 and for Community Transport - cheap group travel - phone (023) 9287 7308.
The News (Portsmouth), 17th November 2009
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