We are thrilled to announce the winners for this year's Community Transport Awards!
Our esteemed panel of judges had the incredibly difficult task of evaluating all the outstanding submissions and narrowing down our nominees to the very best of the best. Our judges wanted to thank everyone who submitted a nomination, and it was so inspiring to see so many stories of excellence from across the UK.
CT Operators in England will benefit from a 60% increase in funding through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), the Transport Secretary has announced today (Monday 23rd October). This funding is a core part of CT operator’s income and helps to keep fares down and vital services running for those in our community.
In response to a consultation on driving licence flexibility for alternatively fuelled vehicles, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced plans for several policy adjustments to driver licence flexibility to encourage the take-up of larger Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), including minibuses.
As we continue to celebrate CT Week, we want to increase public knowledge of community transport users. Essentially, community transport is about people and connecting communities.
Community transport services in the UK encompass a diverse range of vital transport options, playing a crucial role in enhancing mobility and inclusivity within the wider transport network.
These services utilise various vehicles, ranging from minibuses to mopeds, and include a variety of essential offerings such as voluntary car schemes, community bus services, school transport, hospital transport, dial-a-ride, wheels-to-work, and group hire services.
Local charities and community groups across the UK are preparing to celebrate the first-ever Community Transport Week this October.
For nearly 60 years, Community Transport has delivered lifeline services to keep communities connected, helping millions of people to access colleges, hospitals, schools, shops, universities, workplaces and more, as well as creating local jobs and volunteering opportunities.
So far, the programme has involved:
Increasing numbers of Community Transport operators are delivering eBike hire and share schemes to encourage and expand access to active travel. This new resource sets out what these schemes can look like, how to access relevant funding and examples of best practice from Scotland and Wales.
The Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) has been an intrinsic part of the community transport sector since its inception in 1994. As the training scheme reaches 30 years old, CTA’s transformation plan goes far beyond the regular minor amendments that have been made every 2 years. CTA has spent the past 18 months working in partnership with Hampshire County Council (the original developers of MiDAS) to transform the MiDAS offering. We are maintaining the original guiding ethos of ‘by the sector for the sector.
Back in May 2022, CTA published our response to the Department for Transport (DfT)’s consultation on proposals for a new Code of Practice for Mobility as a Service (also known as MaaS), which could have significant implications for the Community Transport sector.