3 Case Study Selection

Case Study Identification

3.1 The research was principally based on primary research with five case study providers drawn from areas with differing geography and demography. The key benefit of this approach is that it allowed the research to identify and understand the benefits of CT across the full breadth of operator types and services. Whilst this strategy likely provided a smaller number of survey responses than would have been the case focussing on say, the five largest providers, the breadth of information collected added significant value.

3.2 Our process for selecting the case studies involved selecting a series of CT providers from whom we could collect evidence on the benefits identified in the literature review. Our aim was to identify a set of case studies which are representative of demography; geography; user groups and journey purposes; and types of provider and funding.

3.3 In terms of ensuring a demographically representative sample, we felt it appropriate to identify one case study from each category (five in total) within the Scottish Government's urban / rural classification:

Large urban areas - settlements of over 125,000 people.
Other urban areas - settlements of 10,000-125,000 people.
Remote small towns - settlements of between 3,000 and 10,000 people and with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more.
Accessible rural - settlements of less than 3,000 people and within a 30 minute drive of a settlement of 10,000 or more.
Remote rural - settlements of less than 3,000 people and with a drive time of over 30 minutes to a settlement of 10,000 or more.

3.4 In selecting our list of case studies, we recognised early on that there is a lack of a comprehensive nationwide database of CT providers. To address this we identified the case studies using a number of sources:

case studies identified in the published literature;
expert knowledge from the Centre for Transport Research;
the website www.ctonline.org.uk, which includes a list of CT providers throughout the UK (although it is far from comprehensive);
the database of operators from the CT mapping exercise undertaken for SPT (provided by the RAG); and
Google based searches.

3.5 The following five case studies formed the final shortlist:

Table 3.1: Preferred Case Studies
	Preferred Case Study
Large Urban Areas	Community Transport Glasgow (SPT)
Other Urban Areas	Order of Malta Dial-a-Journey (TACTRAN)
Remote Small Towns	Annandale Transport Initiative (SWestrans)
Accessible Rural	Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus (NESTRANS)
Remote Rural	Badenoch & Strathspey Community Transport Company (HITRANS)

3.6 Three additional telephone consultations were also included to address a small number of gaps left by the above case studies. These were a:

Wheels-to-Work provider - Coalfields Community Transport;
Island Provider - this was initially Staran in Lewis but, following difficulties contacting them, it was agreed the reserve choice would be Tagsa Uibhist (Benbecula, but serving the entire Uist Chain); and
Access to medical appointments - RSVP East Renfrewshire.

Profile of Case Studies

3.7 A brief profile of each case study is provided below, with additional information on the services offered included in Appendix B.

3.8 Annandale Transport Initiative (ATI) was established in 1999 and provides community transport services throughout Annandale and in part of Eskdale in South West Scotland. Having started with two fully accessible minibuses, the organisation has gradually expanded and now has six minibuses and two accessible community cars. ATI provide a range of community transport services.

3.9 Badenoch & Strathspey Community Transport Company (B&S) provides a range of accessible transport services for people living in a Badenoch and Strathspey who do not have transport of their own or who are unable to access public transport.

3.10 Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus (BDACB) has been providing transport services in North East Aberdeenshire for over 15 years. Having initially offered just one weekly service, the organisation has grown substantially over this period and now has a total of 11 buses, over 1,000 individual members and 290 group members.

3.11 Community Transport Glasgow (CTG) has been providing CT services in communities across Glasgow since 2005. Since its establishment, CTG has grown substantially and now has 20 vehicles and provides a wide range of community transport services.

3.12 Order of Malta Dial-a-Journey (OOM) provides transport services in the operating areas of Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils for people who have a mobility problem and cannot use conventional public transport.

3.13 Coalfields Community Transport (CCT) is based in East Ayrshire and provides a range of transport services for eligible groups and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals in the former coalfield areas like Cumnock and Auchinleck.

3.14 Tagsa Uibhist (TU) is a voluntary organisation in the southern portion of the Outer Hebrides. They provide a range of services throughout the Uist Chain to assist the elderly and vulnerable populations in the local community.

3.15 RSVP East Renfrewshire provides a range of community transport services in the East Renfrewshire area including a Voluntary Car Scheme which has been in operation since 2000. The scheme is primarily provided by volunteers using their own cars. However, in 2010, SPT provided funding for an accessible vehicle so that the organisation would be able to transport patients in a wheelchair. Users of the service are referred via their GP and the majority are elderly.