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Stop Lancashire Slashing Community Transport Funding

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Lancashire County Council Conservative Administration is now proposing to slash over 50% of funding for the Community Transport Consortium including Dial a Ride and Community Car Scheme services. The consortium operates services in Ribble Valley, Preston and South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire under contract to Lancashire County Council. LCC’s Travelcare provides an off-peak Dial-a-Ride service in the other six districts.

County Councillor John Fillis, Labour Group Deputy Leader said “The Conservatives know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.  We demand that they should stop this cruel and destructive cut to the most vulnerable people in our communities. It’s their government that should be footing the bill.”

The Conservative controlled council is looking to cut £0.391 million, over a 3 year period from a budget of £0.696 million.

Community Transport services play a major role in promoting good health and wellbeing, reducing loneliness and isolation and help people access important services. Whilst transport operators obtain some funding through grant awards and other means, the overwhelming majority of funds come from the County Council.

These changes are likely to have disproportionate effect on smaller communities and those living in rural areas. Many local services, especially in smaller communities are being withdrawn, such services include banks post offices, local shops, doctors and other services.

County Councillor John Fillis, said” Dial-a-Ride services provide a door to door service for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. These are the elderly, disabled and people who suffer from long term illness, who cannot stand at the bus stop.   There are more than 6,200 regular users who, between them, made in excess of 166,000 journeys in 2016/17.

“The effect on these people’s lives would be devastating and the knock on affect to the rest of our communities would be just as traumatic especially felt within our National Health Service who would be left to pick up the avoidable health problems.”

“We worked with the operators to establish the Community Transport Consortium, to enhance the service to for local people. Labour increased the funding through what was a very difficult financial period. This decision would put at risk the long term viability of Community Transport operator’s right across Lancashire.”

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