Fuel crisis forces Keep Mobile to cancel rides

A CHARITY offering essential support to the borough’s vulnerable residents says it has been forced to halt its services after failing to find enough fuel.

Keep Mobile, based on Evendons Lane, has cancelled more than 50 ‘dial-a-ride’ journeys that help elderly and disabled members access doctor’s appointments, vaccinations and other healthcare services.

The charity has written to MPs, calling for “urgent action” on the fuel crisis, so it can continue its work across the borough.

Speaking to Wokingham. Today, Fred Rule, trustee of Keep Mobile, said the organisation has also been forced to postpone day trips.

“[This] was the first opportunity many of our members had to get out and about since the pandemic,” Mr Rule said.

“We just put our services back in place because people have the confidence to go out, and it has knocked everybody for six.”

The trustee said Keep Mobile is now having to prioritise members.

“We now have to ask people what the purpose of their trip is,” he said. “We’re making terrible decisions that we shouldn’t have to.

“One of our nine buses has managed to fill up, but we can’t just sit in queues because we’ve got people to help.”

In its letter to MPs, which was published in last week’s Wokingham.Today, Keep Mobile reiterated that the fuel crisis is causing “havoc” to its essential services.

“Our drivers, booking staff and the whole organisation are totally frustrated that we are unable to provide the service that we are renowned for,” it said.

The charity also questioned why emergency and essential services have not been granted priority to purchase fuel, as in 2000.

“We are still being told there is no emergency, but yesterday we had nine buses that were unable to obtain fuel,” the letter added.

“If this continues, we will have to close down.”

According to Keep Mobile, its drivers are also struggling to purchase fuel to get to work.

“We just seem to be in chaos,” the charity wrote, “[and] we have members pleading with us to get them to their hospital or doctor’s appointments.

“We need urgent action now.”

Mr Rule told Wokingham. Today he would now like to see somebody policing petrol stations.

“In an ideal world, I’d want to ban a lot of the cars that are buying fuel,” he explained. “We should check to see if they’ve got half a tank and, if so, send them on their way.

“We need to start thinking about people who can’t walk, who need a lift, who are in wheelchairs and need help.”

The Government announced today that 150 soldiers from the army will begin delivering fuel over the coming days in an effort to tackle the issue.