A COMMUNITY transport group for elderly and disabled people in Salisbury and the surrounding area is celebrating 20 years of service.

Community Transport South Wiltshire (CTSW) organises volunteer drivers operating a Monday to Friday ‘car scheme’ and runs ‘shopper’ bus services during the week, monthly ‘trips and days out’, ‘driver and self minibus hire’ as well as the running of the local Amesbury ‘hoppa’ bus service Monday to Saturday.

Its volunteer drivers make over 8,000 car journeys per year, an average of 167 car journeys per week, carrying close to 11,000 passengers.

The CTSW Shopper bus services carry around 9,000 passengers every year from their home to local supermarkets, while the Amesbury hoppa carries around 40,000 passengers during the year.

Business manager Graham Audin said: “A huge factor in reducing the quality of life for elderly and disabled people is the difficulty they experience getting around.

“Our mission is to provide a lifeline and help relieve the loneliness this isolation causes.

“Along with 300 other community transport organisations around the country, CTSW successfully applied to receive a free minibus via the Department of Transport.

“The new bus is scheduled to be with us sometime in October and open up another bus service opportunity.”

A celebration event was held in the Market Place on Saturday with members members of the public being able to meet with staff, drivers and trustees to discuss the group’s services.

The group also highlighted the need to recruit more volunteer drivers to help with increasing requests to join the car scheme.

Anyone interested in getting involved as a sponsor, trustee or volunteer can call 01722 414566 or email salisbury-ct@btconnect.com.