With the geography of our area, many people have to rely on community transport to get to where they need to go, be that to work or the doctors or to visit friends or go shopping.
We are leading the way in West Oxfordshire with groups like OurBus Bartons and West Oxfordshire Community Transport being run by the community, taking people where they need to go. In particular, the OurBus group, which was founded whilst I was the District Councillor for the Bartons, has gone from strength to strength, expanding its services and not relying on any grants, being entirely financially independent.
I am keen that others can learn from our best practice, as well as look at how more routes can be offered throughout West Oxfordshire. That is why I have founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Community Transport with the Community Transport Association. You can follow the group on twitter to keep up to date here.
Through the Group, I led the Parliamentary battle which helped to protect the sector from a European Commission ruling which threatened the viability of community transport in the UK. That success now achieved, we turn our attention to how local authorities commission community transport services - ensuring that these key services not only survive but thrive.
I will keep you updated with the work of this group and other work in West Oxfordshire below.
