As Dial-a-Ride continues to provide passenger transport throughout the lockdown it’s being called the ‘fourth emergency service’ - and for good reason!

Stan Fenney (pictured) is one of a team of minibus drivers happy to pick you up from your home to take you on any essential local lockdown journey.

Manager Philip Walker told QLocal: “Dial-a-Ride is a transport service that prioritises the needs of the local community.

“We’ll always call for anyone with an essential travel need, perhaps to attend a medical appointment or shop for food.

“But we’re here to support the community in other ways, too. For instance, our volunteer car drivers have been assisting local food banks with deliveries and our staff have been in telephone contact with hundreds of residents,” he added.

Its minibuses are fully accessible but, as Philip explains, the charity’s also installed additional measures to keep passengers and drivers safe from infection.

“We have had so many enquiries from folk who urgently needed to make a journey, but also wanted to be assured that we could provide that journey for them safely.

“We set out to make our buses the cleanest in the borough! Our drivers are fully trained and equipped to keep their buses clean and hygienic and to assist their passengers in the safest way.

“For instance, we professionally deep clean and sanitise our buses regularly and have also installed contactless card payment facilities in all buses, an option that has been welcomed as a way to avoid handing cash”.

Dial-a-Ride is a non-profit community transport service supported by Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council. Their minibus and community car services are available to any qualifying resident of West Lancashire who cannot use public transport.

West Lancashire Dial A Ride
The Operations Centre, 4 Langley Place, Burscough, L40 8JS
Telephone: 01704 893373