Thanks for keeping us on the road
THE chairman of the volunteer-run Ashbourne Community Transport has expressed her thanks to the passengers and councils that have supported the lifeline service during the lockdown and enabled it to keep running.
The Blenheim Road based charity has been able to carry on providing services to users in the town and further afield throughout the coronavirus pandemic thanks to a core of drivers who volunteered to continue as key workers.
This has meant vital transport links for villagers and other rural communities have been maintained while other bus services were unable to run.
The service’s Derbyshire Connect routes in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales were extended to plug gaps in Trentbarton’s Swift timetable, and the Moorlands Connect, shopping services, and prescription deliveries have been running for all Ashbourne dispensaries and for the Brailsford and Hulland Ward surgery.
The service has also been able to provide an Active Travel on demand system to help people take essential journeys.
The drivers have also been able to support the Team Ashbourne support network and help volunteer groups in other parts of the Derbyshire Dales, such as Brailsford, Wirksworth and Matlock.
And with school runs restarting, the buses have been used to help pupils at Thomas Alleynes in Uttoxeter who are children of essential workers.
Plans are in place to restart the primary and junior school services to Brailsford and Biggin schools in June if the demand arises, and transport for individual trips to appointments at GP surgeries or hospitals are still available as usual.
The charity’s chairman Pat Laughlin said: “Along with many other small businesses we have had to face a dramatic drop in income since March, but Derbyshire and Staffordshire County Councils have asked us to continue many of our contracted services, and to assist them with emergency transport needs which has allowed us to support other core community operations.
“We are most grateful to them, and also, of course, to our regular passengers who have continued to use our services.
“While some of our drivers and office staff have been put on furlough, we have been running a reduced fleet of minibuses every day which has proved adequate to meet the reduction in demand. “We hope to see an increase in passengers as the restrictions are gradually lifted, and we are in a position to expand our services as the need arises.
“We are implementing a strict social distancing policy on the services that we are operating which means a much reduced passenger capacity on each bus; and all our drivers have access to the required PPE.
“We are also ensuring that our vehicles are cleaned between trips and given a thorough cleaning at the end of the day.
“Over the last few weeks we have received unexpected donations and so many calls of thanks and support from passengers and users which has been really great for all our team.
“Our message is that we are definitely still operating for the benefit of the whole community.”
To find out more, book a journey, or offer support, call 01335 300670 or email enquiries@ashbournect.org.uk.
We have received unexpected donations and so many calls of thanks and support from passengers. Pat Laughlin