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Cambridge Dial-a-Ride
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What is Cambridge Dial-a-Ride?Cambridge Dial-a-Ride is a charitable organisation which provides transport for groups and individuals who otherwise have difficulty accessing public transport. It offers this service around the entire City of Cambridge and from neighbouring villages.Can I use Dial-a-Ride?We offer services for anybody over 16 years old who has difficulty using public transport because of disability, infirmity, or age. We are obliged to ask you to apply for membership of Cambridge Dial-a-Ride. We ask you to specify in your application what particular difficulties we need to help you overcome.Where can I go?Dial-a-Ride offers you the opportunity to travel into Cambridge from your village or to travel around the City of Cambridge for a wide range of purposes.We can take you to the main shopping areas in Cambridge or to friends or relatives. We can drive you to doctors' or dentists' surgeries or to a hairdresser's appointment, although at present we do not offer transport to hospital appointments. Many people use the service to go to day centres or community groups in and around the city. We also arrange group travel to go to most of the big supermarkets from local areas within the city on specific days. What happens if I need help?Dial-a-Ride buses are equipped to make it easier for everybody to use them. All buses have lifts or ramps for wheelchair users, and they are equipped to enable wheel chairs to be secured while in transport. Seat belts are fitted for use by all passengers. Our drivers make every effort to stop as near as possible to your front door, and they can offer help to get you safely to and from the bus. We only ask that you let the driver know what help you need and that you co-operate with the driver when requested.Can I bring a friend?You may bring a friend or family member as your official escort. Guide dogs are obviously also welcome, although other pets and animals are not normally carried.How much do I pay?Dial-a-Ride is obliged to operate as a membership organisation. As a result you must apply to become a member and pay an annual membership fee. Once you are a member you pay a fixed fare for each single or return journey, which the driver collects at the time of your journey. Thanks to continuing financial support from Cambridge City Council we are able to offer fare reductions to Cambridge City residents holding a bus pass issued through Cambridge City Council. Unfortunately these fare concessions are not currently available to members residing in the South Cambridgeshire or East Cambridgeshire administrative areas. Members who are registered as visually impaired and resident in the City, East Cambridgeshire, or South Cambridgeshire areas are all eligible to travel at a substantially reduced rate. If you wish to travel with an escort we charge an additional fare for their travel, but this fare is set at a concessionary rate in recognition of their role in helping you during your journey with Cambridge Dial-a-Ride.How do I apply for Dial-a-Ride membership?You or somebody on your behalf can contact Cambridge Dial-a-Ride to request an application form. Alternatively you can use the printable application form which can be completed and returned to us at the address on the form.Return the form to Dial-a-Ride with the annual membership fee. We can then enrol you as a member of Cambridge Dial-a-Ride for twelve months. How do I book a journey?As a member living in the City of Cambridge and in those villages which we include in the City Services, you are entitled to use the service on two occasions in each week. If you live in a village where Dial-a-Ride offers Services, our service is available on a specified day. We ask you to book with Dial-a-Ride in advance, where the telephone is normally manned Monday-Friday 09.00-15.00 (9am-3pm). Outside these times you will find an answer-phone for your booking requests.We ask you to give us as much notice as possible of your travel needs, and you can book up to six days in advance of your day of travel. Of course, if you are not able to travel as you had planned, we do ask you to make every effort to cancel well in advance. Can my community group use Dial-a-Ride?The majority of Cambridge Dial-a-Ride's bookings are from individual members who wish to maintain their independence in travelling on their own. However, we also offer Group Membership for community groups that wish to arrange group travel for their own members on a regular or occasional basis. This form of membership has its own structure of Fares and Fees.And if I have other questions?If you have questions about Cambridge Dial-a-Ride which are not fully answered here, you are welcome to telephone us, or you can ask a friend or relative to contact us on your behalf. If you hear our answer-phone message, please leave us your name and contact details, and somebody who can answer your question will phone your back as soon as possible.What help does Dial-a-Ride need?If you are reading this as an able-bodied individual who knows how others look to us for help, you might like to think about helping Cambridge Dial-a-Ride as a volunteer. We are always eager to hear from people who may wish to work as a volunteer driver, although you will appreciate that we do need to be selective in terms of volunteers' personality and the status of their driving licence. Contact Cambridge Dial-a-Ride if you would like to consider working with us.Dial-a-Ride is financed through membership fees and fares. However, we also receive generous support from our regular funding agencies, to whom we are very grateful, as we are to the many other groups who make occasional donations. If you know of any group who would like to support Cambridge Dial-a-Ride financially, please contact us. |
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