Dozens of older people in south Cheshire have been left virtually
housebound following the close-down of the East Cheshire Community Transport (Dial-A-Ride)
The charity has been forced to halt its service after a 30% cut in funding from Cheshire East Council and a 20% drop in passenger numbers since the enforced introduction of fares because the service was withdrawn from the concessionary bus pass scheme.
The service is used by the elderly and disabled who haven't got a car and are physically unable to use normal public transport.
The users are typically blind people going to their social club, frail elderly people going to day care centres, hospitals and doctor's surgeries and others simply going shopping or engaging in social activities.
Cheshire East Council blame the current financial climate for the cuts but Councillors and staff in Cheshire East pay themselves well over the maximum limit set by HMRC for casual user mileage rates. If they stuck to 45p or less like everyone else there would be enough for the transport costs of these the most vulnerable in our society.
This comes barely a month since Cheshire East held an expensive launch event for their "Ageing well in Cheshire East document.
Interviewed on local radio the newly elected leader of the Council Mr Jones said his first priority was to make people understand just what a marvellous job their council was doing for them.
We don't want spin Mr Jones, we want substance.
