Our latest newsletter is now available to view, click the link below to download it.
Our latest newsletter is now available to view, click the link below to download it.
102 year old Mrs Anne Thomson of East Calder, West Lothian celebrates five years of independent travel on shopping bus service on Tuesday 7th March 2017.
Mrs Thomson of East Calder, West Lothian registered for the door-through-door Dial-A-Bus service when she was 97 and has used Dial-A-Bus almost every week since, travelling from her home to the Almondvale Centre in Livingston and Dobbies Garden Centre, Livingston. Mrs Thomson also uses our door-through-door Dial-A-Ride service with her friends from the sheltered housing complex for day trips. Mrs Thomson, who has used the Dial-A-Bus service 384 times and travels independently, said: “I could not do without the Dial-a-Bus service and the drivers are wonderful and take my shopping right into the house”.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said, “Congratulations to Anne for keeping so active – she is undoubtedly an inspiration to others. I also want to praise the Handicabs volunteers and team members on delivering such a welcome service to local residents.
“Handicabs has provided community transport services in Edinburgh and the surrounding area for many years and previously obtained a minibus through the Community Transport Vehicle Fund. These unsung heroes often go above and beyond to assist passengers and their contribution to society is worthy of celebration.”
Dial-A-Bus is a door-through-door shopping service run by HcL (Handicabs Lothian). The service picks elderly or disabled people up from their own homes and takes them to a local shopping center once or twice a week. It has operated throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians for the past 25 years.
The Dial-A-Ride service goes above and beyond providing door-to-door transport by providing a ‘through-the-door’ service, ensuring that our passengers receive the assistance they need at the start and end of their journey. This may be assisting people with getting their coat on or ensuring that they are settled safely in their home after the journey. Passengers are also able to travel anywhere, 7 days a week including evenings - subject to availability of vehicle and driver.
HcL has been providing transport for people with mobility challenges throughout the Lothians since 1982, and is one of Scotland’s largest and longest established community transport services. It has a fleet of 29 vehicles carrying around 90,000 passenger trips each year.