Written evidence from Adapt (North East)
Ltd (BUS 45)
INTRODUCTION
Adapt (North East) Limited is a user led organisation,
registered charity, company limited by guarantee and a social
enterprise that seeks to provide services for the people of North
East England and particularly Northumberland. These services especially
seek to support disabled and disadvantaged people and those isolated
through difficulties in accessing public transport because of
issues such as age, sickness mental or physical disability or
poverty.
Any surplus that is made is re-invested into the
company in order to pursue other activities that will benefit
members. The organisation is governed by a board of trustees who
are appointed based upon their experience and abilities which
they bring to the company. Disabled people have always been integral
to the board and this is reflected through the organisations status
as a ULO.
Adapt is an active partner within Northumberland
Strategic Partnership (LSP for Northumberland) and holds a seat
on the Health and Wellbeing Thematic Partnership. Adapt works
in partnership with Northumberland Fire and Rescue and Northumbria
Police through Road Safety Partnership and has developed training
to support Road Safety.
Adapt's primary aim is to "Improve the quality
of life of both disabled and disadvantaged people", and through
consultation with both members and the wider community identified
access and transport as an area requiring services. In response
to this Adapt in1996 developed a community transport brokerage,
which has successfully developed into a proactive community transport
scheme.
Adapt have developed services and undertaken public
service contracts namely home to school transport for both SEN
routes and routes in geographicaly remote areas within Northumberland.
Adapt through working in partnership with community partners have
developed dial a ride solutions and provided access for community
groups. Adapt recognise the importance of providing a quality
service and have invested heavily in low floor and non low floor
accessible vehicles.
TRANSPORT DELIVERY
Adapt delivers several home to school contracts and
a small number of contracts to provide services for adult social
care.
Adapt uses the down time of the vehicles to provide
14 Dial a Ride Services in rural Northumberland.
The Dial a Ride services provide access in rural
areas where there is no public transport available through lack
of commercial viability.
FUNDING
Adapt is eligible and claims BSOG at the rate of
£12,000 per year.
Adapt also receives funding from Northumberland County
Council passenger transport budget.
CONCESSIONARY FARE
Passengers are able to access some of the Dial a
Ride services with their concessionary fare pass.
Additional problems identified by potential passengers
are that eligible people are not able to access the bus due to
numbers of passengers from outside the area travelling for a day
out.
CURRENT ISSUES
Passenger issues range from the lack of availability
of public transport to access employment opportunities to the
lack of accessible public transport.
Issues are fed into the public transport team through
ongoing dialogue with Adapt.
January 2011
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