Section 1 – A Summary about Community Transport Organisations 

 

Community Transport is operated by a wide range of organisations, of different sizes, structures and purposes. Analysis of the Community Transport Association membership, permit details and the Mapping England response show that within the sector there is no such thing as a typical Community Transport Operator (CTO). 

 

graph of england not for profit membership

The Mapping England research showed that a significant proportion of CTOs have an income of under of £25k per year. These smaller groups have distinct needs, many of which are highlighted through the research. 

 

graph showing orgs by primary and secondary purpose

CTOs with an income of over £1million per year are most likely to be Secondary Purpose organisations, who provide transport to support their main purpose. 

However, secondary purpose organisations were only devoting about 28% of their income to Community Transport on average. There are also several larger Primary Purpose organisations, dedicated to transport, with larger fleets and opportunities to provide extensive community or contractual services. 

 

graph of governance type

 

Three quarters of respondents were registered charities, with just over 1 in 10 registered as either a community interest company or social enterprise.

 

Section 19 and 22 Permits

Over 34,000 section 19 permits had been issued in England over the past five years. The CTA is the largest designated body and had over 5000 active section 19 permits at the time of publication. In the 2018 to 2023 period over 12,000 different organisations received section 19 permits in England. An estimated 85-90% of those organisations are either educational bodies or secondary providers. 

 

821 Section 22 permits were issued in the same period, indicating community bus routes have been a growing form of provision, since legislation changes in 2008. 

 

To find more information on community transport operators read the full report here