Greater Manchester Community Transport Forum

Community transport (or ‘CT) has been keeping communities connected to jobs, education, public services, community networks and sources of support for more than three decades now, tackling disadvantage years before the term became familiar.

It has built on its roots of volunteers providing transport for communities affected by deprivation, & disadvantage and isolation, and supporting those who are vulnerable and in greatest need. It has always aimed to provide services that help reduce the environmental impact of travel, and promote sustainability. It has kept these values as it has expanded and grown in providing transport that is not-for-profit, and accountable and responsive to the communities and groups it serves.

The Greater Manchester Community Transport Forum (GMCTF) was formed in 2006 to represent its diverse membership of local community transport operators across GM, and is owned and managed by its members. As the ‘umbrella’ organisation for the sector, it provides a body that can engage with transport and other authorities, and partners in the voluntary, public and private sectors in a strategic way.

As well as providing strategic engagement for its members, the Forum also:

• Provides developmental and practical hands on support to its members
• Promotes best practice, high common standards, transparency and accountability around all aspects of operation and service delivery
• Works alongside partners to develop and promote a collaborative approach to working together and co-ordinating resources to deliver additional services that partners could not do alone, expanding the availability and provision of social needs transport across Greater Manchester.

Community transport has grown to become an essential component of the transport network, and a delivery partner in the GM transport strategy. It aspires to be a place where unmet social transport needs are identified and where innovative, practical solutions can be considered, tested and delivered. Community transport offers:

• A network of locally based operators with an understanding of, connection with and reach into their communities, backed up by a representative body at Greater Manchester level
• A delivery model that is independent, not-for-profit and accountable
• An ethos of innovation, collaboration and partnership
• A flexible, adaptable approach where operators are able to respond quickly and directly to local unmet social transport needs and gaps in transport provision as they arise
• Access where other transport forms are unable to respond to travel patterns and needs, including communities affected by deprivation and disadvantage, and for vulnerable groups
• A range of accessible, conventional and specialist vehicles and equipment and trained drivers offering practical travel choices for residents and groups with different and complex needs

The Forum is a constituted body in its own right, and a registered charity, owned and managed by its members. Its objectives are:

• Provision of direct development support and assistance to its members
• Networking and promotion of community transport services and offer
• Building relationships with existing and potential local and strategic partners and customers
• Promoting high common standards of governance, financial management, community engagement, operations, vehicles, driver training and customer care
• Annual production of performance data providing evidence about the size, scale and impact of community transport operations across Greater Manchester.

The Forum’s priorities include expanding joint working between its members and other transport providers to back the development of the collaborative working model for door-to-door services supported by the BSD system and exploring the scope for providing alternative forms of health transport services, building on successful NHS contracts, and pilot projects.

The Forum’s approach demonstrates the community transport sector’s contribution to the transport network and economy:

• 10 operators based in 8 Districts, delivering services across the majority of Greater Manchester
   
• The three years to March 2010 produced:

Growth in fleet kilometers, reaching over 3.5 million km in 09/10, up 23% on the previous year

Growth in number of passenger trips, over 830,000 in 09/10, up 6.8% on the previous year

Growth in turnover, over £5m in 09/10, up 5% on the previous year

Growth in proportion of self generated income, up 11% on the previous year

Decreasing dependence on grant income, down 33% on the previous year

The sector creating or maintaining 128 full time jobs

The Input of 141 volunteer drivers and 37 other volunteers worth in excess of £339,000

Over 700 formal and informal items of training were delivered to staff and volunteers

• Community transport in Greater Manchester is estimated to have saved/replaced some 40,000 car journeys during in 09/10

Building on the annual performance data, another significant step in the Forum’s progression has been the establishment of their Quality Framework. This is an assessment tool to provide visibility and accountability around standards of administration, management, operation and service delivery, and includes a Vehicle Management System (VMS) funded by GMPTE that is compliant with VOSA legislation. Community transport operators have begun adopting the standards, and accreditation will become a requirement of Forum membership.

Community transport has the potential to contribute to Smarter Choices through the delivery of targeted smaller and local service enhancements that enhance network efficiency, quality, safety and accessibility, that would ‘lock in’ the benefits of smarter travel marketing and provide for and maintain revised travel patterns.

The principles established by community transport with Transport for Greater Manchester dovetail into the Government’s localism approach, and are a practical example of the Big Society in action. For example, volunteer driver schemes in partnership with the health sector and local authority social services are well established, providing for short and longer distance journeys for older people and sick children from deprived backgrounds travelling to medical appointments. 

For further information about the Forum, visit their website at www.gmctof.org.uk/