Alternative transport approaches

As highlighted earlier in this document, the LTA has a number of powers that they can use to help improve their local bus networks. However, they can also explore alternative approaches, such as community transport (“CT”). CT provides a critical role in meeting the transport needs of a wide range of groups where conventional transport fails to do so. This may be because there is not a commercial case (even where subsidised) for running a traditional transport service or where the needs of users are such that they cannot easily access conventional transport services.

Organisations providing CT are varied in both scale and scope. For some, the provision of CT is their only activity, whilst for others, CT is just one part of a much wider remit. In terms of scale, CT providers range from small to large and from those that rely entirely on volunteers to those with large numbers of staff. Relevant categories of CT include:

• Group travel services and door-to-door dial-a-ride services for individuals – CT organisations which provide minibuses to local groups and/or use them to provide transport for their members/people they are aiming to help.
• Contracted 'assisted travel' services - including home-to-school, non-emergency patient and/or social services day care transport which is operated on a not-for-profit basis.

Since 2008, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with resources for CT services as part of the local government finance arrangements. This funding allows LTAs the flexibility to allocate resources as they see fit considering local needs and circumstances.