Wheelchairs, carers and safety
We plan to help you on and off safely. Any extra charge for a wheelchair has not been set. A carer can travel with you when you need them.
No hidden passenger charges
For approved Connect members, the journey charge itself has not been set. These extra charges have not been set either:
- Wheelchair
- Walking frame or mobility aid
- Assistance dog
- Essential companion
- Booking
- Fuel
We do not want to market Connect as free at the point of travel and then create a set of hidden extras. Accessibility is part of the service, not an upgrade.
Vehicles
We intend for our fleet to include vehicles suitable for wheelchair users, people who use walking frames, and members who need extra space or support to board safely. Exact fleet specifications — including how many accessible vehicles we will operate and what features each has — are [TBC] while our fleet plan is finalised.
At membership assessment we intend to record what matters for safe travel: wheelchair type, transfer ability, ramp or lift needs, restraint requirements and assistance needed, so the right vehicle can be planned.
What door-to-door means
Connect is door-to-door transport with reasonable boarding assistance — not a promise that a driver will always enter your home or provide personal care.
Drivers can typically:
- Help someone safely approach and board the vehicle
- Operate lifts and ramps
- Secure wheelchairs and mobility equipment
- Assist with reasonable mobility requirements on and off the vehicle
Drivers should not routinely:
- Lift passengers bodily
- Administer medication
- Enter homes without an authorised reason
- Provide personal care
- Carry unsafe heavy items
If someone needs a higher level of assistance, we assess whether a passenger assistant or carer is required.
Support from drivers
Every driver is expected to hold an enhanced DBS check appropriate to the role and to complete MiDAS or equivalent passenger assistance training before carrying members, alongside induction and ongoing training. Full detail of our safety and passenger standards is on Our standards.
Travelling with a carer, companion or assistance dog
- An essential companion or carer can travel with an eligible member. Any charge for that has not been set
- A social companion may also travel if capacity permits — priority goes to eligible members. Any charge has not been set
- Assistance dogs are welcome on Community Ride Hub Connect journeys
- Members can tell us about equipment — such as a wheelchair — that needs to travel with them
Safeguarding and safety
Every Connect journey sits under Community Ride Hub's safeguarding, safer recruitment, codes of conduct, incident reporting and complaints arrangements. Vehicles are expected to undergo daily defect checks before use. Drivers report safeguarding concerns — they do not investigate them themselves.
See also Safeguarding.
Some detail on this page — including exact vehicle specifications and the number of accessible vehicles in our fleet — is [TBC] until our fleet and funding plans are finalised. We will update this page as decisions are made.
This is not a booking service yet
Community Ride Hub is preparing to operate. This page describes a proposed service. Journeys cannot yet be arranged, and nothing here is an offer of transport.
Tell us what you need
If you have specific accessibility needs, let us know when you register your interest so we can plan properly around them.