A COMMUNITY transport service in York has reopened with new guidelines in place to keep customers safe from the spread of Covid-19.

York Wheels, which offers transport to residents of the city who struggle to access public transport, has restarted its services again, including the Dial and Ride option.

York Wheels has a number of volunteer drivers who give up their time to support elderly and disabled residents by offering transport to the city centre, major supermarkets, hospitals and other appointments.

The Dial and Ride service offers minibus transport along the same routes, which runs on a timetable in every area of the city.

This gives them the chance to spend around an hour and a half going about their daily life, for just £3.30 per trip.

The Dial and Ride service can also support wheelchair users in the city.

The new Covid-19 measures on the services include hand gel in every vehicle, cashless payments, drivers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning of vehicles after every trip.

Volunteer drivers can also no longer enter the homes of the residents due to virus restrictions.

On the minibus service, capacity has been reduced to six per vehicle to allow for social distancing.

Karen Woodward, office manager for York Wheels, said: “Although our service is back in action, only a third of our volunteer drivers have been able to return, as the majority of them are retired and may be vulnerable to the virus.

“We are putting out a call for new volunteer drivers who may want to give up their time to help the community.”

If you have a car, a few hours to spare each week and want to help, contact York Wheels on 01904 726786 to have an initial chat.

The community transport is run on behalf of City of York Council and is funded by grants. It has been in operation for over 35 years.

Anyone wishing to use the service must be a York resident and must be over the age of 60.

Further information on York Wheels can be found at: https://bit.ly/3k1He92