East Ayrshire community transport group struggling to keep up with rising costs
Coalfield Community Transport has served East Ayrshire since 2000.
A community transport group that has served East Ayrshire for more than 20 years say the challenges of rising costs is putting the service at risk of major cuts.
Coalfield Community Transport is well recognised across East Ayrshire as the ‘yellow bus’ group that help vulnerable and isolated people with everyday tasks such as shopping, doctor appointments and more.
They also use their bus fleet for transporting community groups to activities or events outside the area.
However, with a fleet of more than 20 buses and vans bosses say the rising operating costs are rising at a ‘scary’ rate, with insurance tripling in the last year and maintenance costs rising too. The group also say they’re less likely to recruit new volunteers now because the rising cost of living means people can’t afford to do it.
There Executive Manager Susan Dever told Greatest Hits Radio it could mean cuts to the service which would be ‘devastating’ for some of the area’s most vulnerable people.
She said: “It’s scary the levels that prices are rising for everything, and to keep our service going we need to find that money somewhere. The only way we can secure that is through funding. We deliver some trips which brings in some money to cover the trip costs, but our funding is just not keeping up with inflation.
“If rising costs aren’t covered, it will mean cuts to service and that would be absolutely devastating for our local communities who have relied on our services for 23 years. Everyone knows who we are and what we do locally and from the words of our own passengers they wouldn’t know what to do without us.
“It’s a lifeline service. Many people don’t have family, or they don’t live locally so they access our services week to week in order for things like healthcare appointments, shopping visiting family or friends which so many of us can just take for granted.
“If they didn’t have us, they might not get out the house at all or wouldn’t see anyone for weeks on end.”
While the cuts remain a major risk to the organisation, they are in the midst of talks with North Ayrshire Council to expand the service in the Ayrshire region as councillors look to tackle cuts in public transport in the area as well as loneliness and isolation.
With North Ayrshire Council setting aside £100,000 in the recent budget for its new community transport scheme it could help Coalfield fill the gap in funding.
North Ayrshire Council say they’re hoping to trial the scheme as early as Spring 2024.