OVER 6,000 unwell, elderly and lonely people in West Somerset face being priced out of vital health and social lifelines if proposed county council cuts in fare concessions for voluntary car schemes and community transport go ahead.

The 14 voluntary car schemes in West Somerset have 6,167 registered passengers between them.

And the organisations representing them agreed unanimously at a meeting on Tuesday to make the strongest possible protest against the proposed cuts.

At the meeting held by umbrella organisation the Car Scheme Partnership, they pledged to urge MPs, Somerset County Council, district, parish and town councillors to become involved in the consultation process.

County councillors are soon to make a decision on whether the estimated 18 per cent of the local population who rely on community transport for hospital visits, shopping and social outings will have their fare concessions cut by half.

Currently, registered passengers on the car schemes who have a bus pass can have 50 per cent of their journeys refunded up to a maximum of £5.

The money is given to the voluntary car scheme providers who could now only receive up to £2.50 if the cut goes ahead next spring, and fares would have to go up.

“These schemes operate within communities that are very often isolated, with no public transport, and 90 per cent of the journeys are for medical reasons,” said Jean Humber, secretary of the Car Scheme Partnership.

“West Somerset’s apparent affluence and beauty hide the fact it is recognised as being near the bottom nationally for deprivation, and these cuts would hit an enormous number of people who are already financially stretched.

“A lot of the passengers have a disability, whether it’s sight, hearing or general frailty – I could count on one hand the number of times we have taken fit, healthy people anywhere.”

Another worrying aspect, she said, was that Somerset County Council was also proposing to change the times when people can claim from 9am to 9.30am. This would mean people who needed to leave home before 9am to get to hospital appointments, especially those travelling from far away, would not be able to claim any concessionary fare.

“How much money is lost to the NHS through lost appointments?” she said.

“These schemes were set up to give independence to people and enable them to stay in their homes and communities. The Government talks about the Big Society and is pushing people to be involved in community work. We have over 200 drivers doing their bit – we want government to play their part as well.”

Barbara Middleton, project officer of Minehead-based Accessible Transport West Somerset (Atwest), which includes the Minehead Community Car Scheme, said: “This will hit the most vulnerable people at a time when they need most support.

“Over 20 per cent of passengers live alone in isolated areas with no ordinary bus services and a third are over 80. Community transport is literally their lifeline.

“If these cuts go through it will cause very serious hardship or, worse, many of our customers simply won’t be able to find the extra money.”

The West Somerset car schemes cover the miles from Kilve to Stogursey, Porlock to Wiveliscombe to Dulverton.

Between the 13 Partnership car schemes, plus the Wiveliscombe-based Wivey Link, they have over 230 volunteer drivers, who drive everything from their own cars in the smaller schemes to special vehicles suitable for wheelchairs.

For Gill Njeru, a pensioner from Carhampton, her car scheme is a life saver.

“I’ve been really ill for a few weeks and couldn’t drive safely, especially when I was having treatment,” she said.

“Asking for help to get to hospitals and doctors is the last thing I’d do and it’s very difficult because I don’t have family. I don’t want to bother busy people either.

“My husband died of cancer, I’m on my own, so the car scheme is a life saver. I just ring up and they are there for me.

“Please don’t price it out of the market for those who need it so desperately.”

Somerset County Council is holding two separate consultations on its concessionary fares and also on bus services from Taunton to Dulverton plus Minehead to Dulverton buses.

A statement said the county council, like many local authorities, faces major challenges in balancing its budget from 2016/17 and beyond, with direct funding from central Government expected to have fallen by around £63m between 2014/15 and 2019/20 against its current annual budget of around £315m.

Cllr David Fothergill, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Having to consider drastically reducing the council’s funding for bus services is incredibly tough and we do not take it at all lightly.

“We have worked hard to protect this funding for as long as possible, and it is a real and raw sign of the financial times that we face increasingly more difficult decisions about the services we can afford to provide.”

Online and printed versions of the consultations are available at www.somerset.gov.uk/concessionaryfareconsultation or phone 0300 1232224 for printed versions.