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Neston Councillor Investigates Possible Hospital Visitor Car Scheme

Councillor Pat Hughes (Parkgate Ward, Neston Town Council), is exploring the possibility of running a volunteer car rota to assist with evening transport for visitors to Arrowe Park Hospital.

Since the withdrawal of the 272 bus service from the Arrowe Park sector of the route, a recurring theme at the CH64 Transport forums has been the lack of public transport services from Neston to the hospital.

Unfortunately there is no realistic prospect of this route being re-instated either on a commercial basis or as a route supported by council funding. Daytime loadings were very light and the evening services frequently attracted as few as a total of eight passengers and most, if not all, of those eight were using the service purely as a social service to the various pubs along the route.

At present, during the daytime, patients and visitors have to take the 22 bus to Heswall and change to an Arrowe Park service. Some might find this enforced change difficult to cope with and might wish to consider using the Neston Community Car - telephone 0151 355 3739.

As a result of there being no bus service to and from Heswall of an evening, there are a number of people in the Neston area who would find it difficult and/or expensive to visit their loved ones in hospital. I wish to explore the possibility of setting up a volunteer car rota to take visitors to the hospital to depart Neston at 6.00 pm from Monday to Friday and return from Arrowe Park at 7.30 pm.

The community car could be used if available, or volunteers could use their own cars. Ellesmere Port and Neston Community Transport (EPNCT) have indicated their willingness to administer the scheme. Volunteers using their own cars are allowed to retain any fares collected: 50p per passenger per mile (Arrowe Park approx £6 return) and EPNCT will reimburse for any mileage involved without passengers.

Each month ENPCT will issue a rota of drivers for that month and if we can get 20+ volunteer drivers you will be asked to be available less than one day per month.

It is essential that all volunteer drivers, even if using their own cars, are CRB checked.

If you are willing to help with the evening car rota please download a form here, complete it and send it to me at pat.marie@virgin.net.

The reason for the question about your car insurance is we need to ensure that your insurance company is agreeable to you collecting fares from passengers. The vast majority of insurers are agreeable to this where you are acting in a voluntary/charitable capacity but EPNCT will need to check against their listings.

Pat Hughes,
Parkgate Ward Town Councillor

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