Community Transport

Community Transport Survey Results

Thank you for helping shape the next step for local transport

Thank you to everyone who took part in CEDAR’s community transport survey. Your feedback has given us a much clearer picture of the transport challenges facing local people and the kinds of solutions that could make the biggest difference.

The message coming through was clear: there is real interest in a community transport service, especially one that helps people make everyday journeys more easily, reliably and affordably.

What the survey told us

We received 29 responses from across the local area, mainly from Crawford, Abington and Elvanfoot.

The results show that while some people do use existing public transport, many find it difficult, infrequent or poorly connected for real life needs.

Key findings:

  • 20 out of 29 respondents said they experience problems travelling to nearby towns or services
  • 24 out of 29 said they would be very likely or quite likely to use a community transport service
  • The biggest issues raised were:
    • infrequent timetables
    • poor connections
    • difficulty accessing onward services such as the X74
  • The most popular reasons for using a service were:
    • accessing transport hubs
    • social activities
    • medical appointments
    • shopping trips
  • The routes people highlighted most often were:
    • Crawford / Elvanfoot to Moffat
    • Crawford / Elvanfoot to Biggar
    • Crawford to Abington, especially to connect with other services
  • 21 respondents said a regular community bus timetable would work well
  • 18 respondents also supported a dial-a-ride / pre-booked option
  • 20 respondents said they would be willing to pay a small annual membership fee
  • 20 respondents said they would take part in a follow-up survey or focus group

What people told us they need

The feedback was not just about transport in general. It pointed to very specific problems.

People told us that current services often do not line up with:

  • work and training
  • GP, hospital, physio and dental appointments
  • shopping and day-to-day errands
  • social activities and staying connected

A strong theme was the difficulty of reaching Abington Services or other transport links at the right time, especially for onward travel to places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanark and Dumfries.

We also heard that accessibility matters. Several responses highlighted the need for:

  • easier boarding
  • space for wheelchairs or mobility aids
  • comfortable seating
  • friendly, familiar drivers

Just as important, many people felt community transport could help reduce isolation, improve access to healthcare, and strengthen community life.

What CEDAR is planning

CEDAR will now use the survey findings, alongside the funding already secured, to shape the next stage of the project.

The current plan is to focus on a service that is:

  • practical and sustainable
  • designed around real local demand
  • able to support both essential trips and wider community benefit

This is likely to mean testing a model that can help with:

  • key local connection journeys
  • pre-booked travel for appointments and essential trips
  • group or community journeys where there is enough demand

How we expect the service to work

The current idea is for residents to be able to book a journey by phone or online.

Once a booking request is received, it would be sent to a pool of volunteer drivers to check whether someone is available and able to accept the trip.

If a driver is available, the booking can then be confirmed. This would create a flexible, community-based system that is simple to use and shaped around local demand.

Next Steps

  • Cost Up the project – Complete
  • Select Vehicle
  • Secure pool of volunteer drivers

Could you help as a volunteer driver?

As plans for community transport develop, CEDAR is also keen to hear from people who may be interested in supporting the service as a volunteer driver.

Volunteer drivers could play a vital role in helping local people get to appointments, activities, shops and transport links, while also helping reduce isolation across our rural area.

To register interest, you would need to:

  • be aged 21 or over
  • hold a full driving licence

CEDAR would look to provide appropriate support and training, including:

  • MiDAS training
  • basic First Aid training

At this stage, this is simply an expression of interest and does not commit anyone to volunteering. It just helps us understand whether there is local capacity to support the service as it develops.

Interested?

If you think you may be interested in becoming a volunteer driver, please get in touch or register your interest through our contact form.

Register Interest