Authority praised for efforts to help disabled
9:07am Sunday 29th June 2008
MEASURES to bring essential services and facilities within easier reach of people with mobility problems have taken Durham County Council to within reach of a national award.
The authority's efforts to improve accessibility for people living in rural areas, or with disabilities, low income groups and older and younger people, have been shortlisted for one of the 2008 National Transport Awards.
The council has also been shortlisted for a second award in the road safety category of the top annual award scheme.
The county council has established 11 minibus schemes and five wheels-to-work' programmes using £400,000 of its Local Transport Plan funding. This, in turn, has attracted a similar sum of complementary funding support.
Coun Bob Young, cabinet member for environment and transport said: "The number of people benefiting from these schemes is currently more than 220,000, exceeding the LTP community transport target within the first two years of its 2006-11 five-year cycle. These are people whose lack of mobility would otherwise have left them socially excluded."
The council's Local Transport Plan aims to achieve a two per cent increase in households brought within 30 minutes of out-patient facilities by public transport and a 30 per cent increase the number of single trips undertaken on community transport.
The second National Transport Award for which the authority has been shortlisted recognises the work undertaken by the Durham Road Casualty Reduction Partnership to reduce the number of casualties on roads in County Durham and Darlington.
The partnership also includes Durham Constabulary, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, the Highways Agency and Primary Care Trust.
The awards are due to be presented on July 15.