The recent Department for Transport (DfT) funded project, aiming to reduce loneliness through sustainable transport, has already given some insights into the plight of those who are unable to use public transport, either because of physical disability or frailty or, because public transport is too far away to be easily accessible.
For those living in areas not currently served by Community Transport, rural transport is expensive, and the current cost of living crisis is exacerbating this. Because of the distances involved, taxis are especially costly and are not a viable solution for many.
A volunteer driver on the DfT project described the situation of a lady living in a caravan park… “ it’s very rural and very lovely but there’s no bus stops right on their doorstep. Being the New Forest, public transport is few and far between.” He goes on to comment that… “For people on low incomes and no ability to travel, it’s forcing people to stay at home and they don’t want to be. Because of mobility issues, their very home becomes a prison.”
One of the project participants says… “it would take about half an hour to walk to the nearest bus stop and there was no seat there either and buses in that area are few and far between and also sometimes cancelled. The buses aren’t an option.”
None of these issues will be a surprise to anyone who has worked with vulnerable people in rural areas. As part of the DfT project, to see if it could work as a sustainable, affordable solution, MHA trialled the use of electric cars driven by paid drivers in both urban and rural localities. The driver in the New Forest made the following comments about the issues using electric vehicles there: “We would need a larger car with a larger battery life, because one journey can wipe the battery out. When we had the storms, and it was raining, really dark and everything, if you’re needing to demist the windows and you’re needing the window wipers on and you’re needing the lights on to take people home, that’s using your electricity. And there’s nowhere to charge. I was running out of electricity and thankfully I was able to go to my vicar’s home who was able to give me some boost to be able to get back.”
This drivers experience is borne out by a recent report from the County Councils Network that says that across 38 county areas surveyed, they found one available charge point every 10 miles, compared to one every 4.5 miles in cities and towns.
In contrast, the feedback from those being driven in the cars was positive.
They loved how quiet the vehicles were (much better for conversation!), enjoyed the new experience of being driven in an electric vehicle, felt safe with a trusted reliable driver and most of all appreciated the chance to go out “When I went on some of these trips I was over the moon, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It got me out into the community. It got me to get my confidence back which was absolutely zilch and to join with other people out for a day or whatever, And it’s getting my confidence back. I’ve never felt so much better in all my life.”
So, pro’s and cons for electrical vehicles in rural areas:
A great user experience but the infrastructure for electric vehicles is not yet in place and this pilot project found that using electric cars and paid drivers is currently financially unsustainable.
In Community Transport week, the Rural Services Network has described community transport as “the bedrock of a local community, providing access to education, employment, healthcare and social opportunities.” Initial findings by the University of Winchester for the DfT project underlines the importance of safe, secure transport for the most vulnerable. We need to do all we can to support these services in the future!
