Community Transport offers a door-to-door service for disabled and less mobile people. In Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester the service is run by Third Sector Services, a long-established county charity.

The way the scheme operates is simple. Would-be customers pay £10 to register to use the service, which operates 9am - 5pm weekdays, and for that people can book journeys to take them out and about. Journey fares start from as little as £3.30 and are priced according to distance travelled.

Drivers will pick passengers up from the doorstep and ensure they are safely inside their destination before moving on to pick up their next passenger. More than 1,000 people use the services of community transport in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester.

Staff and volunteers are all security vetted and receive the latest training in how to support passengers with special needs. The charity has a number of vehicles at its disposal from cars driven by fully-insured and vetted volunteers, through to wheelchair accessible people carriers and mini-buses, which can accommodate up to 15 people, or eight people and two wheelchairs.

In Tewkesbury borough, community transport has the only wheelchair accessible vehicle in the district, as there are no commercial taxi firms with wheelchair accessible vehicles in the area.

Olive Bick, aged 89, has used the service for the past 12 months, to meet friends for coffee and attend vital hospital appointments.

"I can't use an ordinary taxi because they cannot accommodate my wheelchair and I don't know what I'd do without community transport," said Olive.

"I use the service every couple of weeks and really enjoy the freedom it gives me," she added.

Journey bookings, which can be made up to two weeks in advance, are managed using a new computerised booking system, which helps to keep costs to a minimum.

To register as a passenger in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury or Gloucester and benefit from this offer contact Transport Manager Tim Turton on 01242 691218 and quote "Carers Gloucestershire"

(you must be registered with Carers Gloucestershire to claim the offer)