The Impact of Community Transport

Making a difference

Community transport provides enormous social and economic benefits to communities across the UK.

Its role in preventing loneliness and social isolation, helping people to remain independent and access their communities cannot be overstated and it often represents the only means of transport for many vulnerable and isolated people. These are older people who have limited mobility and can’t leave the house by themselves; people with disabilities who lack the accessible transport they need to make it into town; children who need to get to school; and young people who need help accessing employment.

Community transport also provides important economic benefits to the communities in which it operates. A recent report found that through its role in alleviating loneliness and social isolation, and thereby mitigating the related costs to the National Health Service, community transport could save the NHS between £0.4bn and £1.1 bn a year. Community transport also supports local economies through enabling people to access retail and other services on the high street. One study estimated that for every pound invested in community transport by the local council, almost £9 was spent in the local economy.

Take a look:

Take a look at some of the real life examples of community transport impacting communities: