Banffshire Partnership Ltd Dial-a-Bus buys £50k bus with client donations
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SMALL change donated by grateful clients of a community bus service have paid for a £50,000 bus.
The Banffshire Partnership Ltd (BPL) has added the new bus to its fleet, delivering Dial-a-Bus locally. The vehicle is also available for community groups to hire.
The cost of the vehicle has been paid for using coin donations from D-a-B clients that have been saved-up the past few years.
The vehicle is unusual in being a lighter-weight bus, which is below the D1 licence qualification weight, and that solves a problem for community groups that have younger volunteer drivers who passed their driving test after the change to driving laws in 1997, and didn’t automatically get D1 qualification along with their car licence.
BPL chief executive officer, Duncan Leece, said: “It is a magnificent achievement for our D-a-B clients to have donated this sum of money, and we are very proud that they value our charity’s service enough to be so generous.
"Working with specialist minibus builder MinibusOptions in England, we spotted the new Man Dge van chassis, which lends itself really well to minibus conversion. It is a clever design, and incorporates full wheelchair accessibility, with plenty leg room, coach-standard seats for 14 people, luggage space for shopping…..and all achieved at a weight below the D1 threshold.
"Man vehicles have a reputation for quality, and this is a new departure for that manufacturer entering the UK minibus market.
"As well as serving our rural communities for Dial-a-Bus, this vehicle will be a great boon for local
community groups, and will also enable us to clear a waiting list of potential volunteer drivers who
don’t have D1, but want to take the MiDAS minibus driving safety qualification we deliver at Boyndie. We can use the Man now for their driving assessment test”.
And BPL operations manager Rebecca Ross said all the buses in the fleet are now modern and fully accessible vehicles, with the latest safety features.
She added: "We know how important the service is to people for combatting rural isolation and helping people remain independent and happy. We are always delighted to hear from new people who feel they may benefit from Dial-a-Bus.”
Picture shows Rebecca Ross handing the keys of the new bus to drivers Heike Wilson and Jim
Esselmont, as they set off on its first Dial-a-Bus service, to Huntly.
