Barnet community transport under threat

A report to the Supporting the Vulnerable in our Community Overview & Scrutiny Committee highlights the problems being faced by Barnet community transport. BCT is a not for profit membership organisation that provides affordable and accessible transport to many groups including the elderly and people with disabilities. It is also the lead partner in providing the Rolling base bus which provides activities and support for community youth work.

The problem BCT has is funding. Much of its previous funding came from charitable grants and the lottery. According to the report Barnet Council provides in kind financing i.e. office and parking space but no direct funding. The report states that the Council’s youth service highly values the Rolling base and its loss would be keenly felt.

The report does suggest that there are ways that the Council could use BCT more for example replacing taxi’s with BCT vehicles’. Maybe the incoming Mayor might like to use BCT instead of the Mayoral car or indeed a taxi?

The serious point is that it should be possible for the Council to make more use of BCT and possibly save money at the same time. Given Barnet’s woeful funding of youth provision there must be scope for ensuring that at the very least the Rolling Base is safeguarded. I would urge the committee to pass this up to cabinet with a very strong recommendation that everything possible is done to safeguard these services.