Community Transport
If you are an older or vulnerable adult* and are not able to drive yourself and if public transport is not available or difficult for you to use, you can request our Community Transport Service.
Over 2,000 members used our service for more than 15,500 passenger journeys over the last year.
Our Community Transport Service covers the North Cotswolds and Cirencester.
We can take you anywhere you want to go, for medical or social appointments - to see family and friends, to the hairdresser, the shops, the doctor or the hospital.
Our volunteer drivers
We have almost 100 volunteer drivers using their own cars, who pride themselves on going the extra mile, helping members to and from their homes and waiting for the return journey.
When using our volunteer cars, you will need to register with our transport service and become a member. The Annual membership is £24.00 (£2.00 a month), there is no limit to the number of bookings you can make with us.
Please call our Community Transport Bookings Desk on 01608 651115 for further details.
For each journey, the service costs a maximum of 50p per mile and you will pay your driver directly. When you book your journey you will be told how much it will cost.
2 hours of driver waiting time is included in the cost of your booking. If you need more time, let us know when you book and we will arrange that for you - an extra charge will apply.
Our Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
With the help of a generous grant from the Weston Anniversary Fund, Cotswold Friends is pleased to be able to provide a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle for the Community Transport Service in the North Cotswolds. And in 2024 we were delighted to be gifted a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle from a lovely couple who used our transport service, were no longer able to drive, and wanted their vehicle to be used for the good of the community. This second Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle has recently been launched in Cirencester and surrounding villages.
The Volkswagen Caddy has been specially adapted to carry a person whilst seated in a wheelchair, meaning that transfer from wheelchair to car and back again is no longer needed. A wheelchair can be provided if required.
The vehicle can carry three additional passengers and also features an adapted front passenger seat which swivels, allowing people with limited mobility to get in and out more easily.
We have drivers operating the service in the Cotswolds who are fully trained members of staff. Watch our Short Film to find out more.
So there is no reason to miss out. Call us today and book your next outing in the Cotswolds.
Our Community Transport Bookings Desk is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 3.30pm.
Please call our Bookings Desk to register or book a volunteer car on 01608 651115 or email [email protected].
You can also call in to chat with us at the Community Transport Service Bookings Office at the Moreton Area Centre, High Street, Moreton, GL56 0AZ.
For each journey the cost is calculated at a maximum of 50p per mile and you pay the driver directly with cash on the day, please give correct amount whenever possible as drivers do not carry change. You will be informed how much it will cost when we call you back with the driver details.
North Cotswold Map of Areas Covered
Cirencester Map of Areas Covered
Here are just a few examples of how the Community Transport Service is used:
Joyce uses the service to visit the hospital and says, “It’s like seeing friends – they take all the worry from you and as you get older you do worry about things you didn’t worry about before.”
Kenneth is 95 and travels both locally and to Cheltenham Hospital with Cotswold Friends. He commented “At my age I don’t drive and without that service I couldn’t get to my appointments. The service is excellent and I find the drivers good company.”
Following a stroke, Betty was no longer able to drive. “If I hadn’t got this transport I wouldn’t get out of the house because I can’t walk. I would recommend it to anyone, well – it would give them what it gives me – freedom.”
Trish is 76 and has been using the transport service for five years and really values the service. When asked if she would recommend the service she said “Yes – definitely – 100%. It’s a lifesaver for me for all sorts of reasons. I have my friends but I don’t need to call on them too often if I’m supported by Community Transport.”
Links to other useful local transport provision
Community Connexions Shoppers in North Cotswolds and Cirencester area For information on Community Connexions bus services in our area please visit Click Here
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