The North Dublin coastal town of Skerries might not be the first place that comes to mind when we think of areas in Ireland that have issues with transport. However, as Patricia Cassidy of Local Link points out, public transport is only accessible for those who can walk to the nearest bus stop or train station.
Recognising the need among Skerries’ older population for a safe, reliable and affordable door-to-door service, the town’s community car initiative was established in November 2019.

The project is a partnership involving the Local Link Transport Co-ordination Unit for Louth, Meath and Fingal; Fingal County Council; Age Friendly Skerries; and car hire company GoCar, which provides the vehicle – an all-electric Hyundai Kona.
Since its launch, the Skerries Community Car has completed more than 600 trips – an impressive feat considering the service was put on pause for several months at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Patricia told Changing Ireland: “You look at a place like Skerries and say, ah sure they’re all right, they have buses going to Dublin every day, and they can get to Balbriggan. But the problem is the distance between the house and the bus stop. And then when you get off the bus, where do you go from there? They’re the pinch points on a transport system.”

According to the 2016 census, about 25 per cent of the population of Fingal and its environs were over the age of 55. Patricia believes that down the line, this will create a need for several more community cars.

Currently, about 150 people, mostly aged over 55, are registered with the service, and about 40 volunteer drivers have been trained and garda vetted.

“Age Friendly Skerries helped us to identify passengers and they also helped us to identify volunteers. It’s easy to book; passengers ring us here in the office. And the first interaction they have is with a human, and our phone number is free. We contact our drivers and ask them if they can do trips. Then the drivers use the GoCar app to book the car,” explained Patricia.

Safety

“Safety for people is a big thing. Our volunteers make contact with passengers before they travel so that they’re very aware who they’re going to meet.”

That helps them sleep better the night before their first journey in a community car.

“It’s a real trauma for some people. They need transport and they don’t know where to go. And then when they find us, they fear that the car isn’t going to turn up or that it’s going to be late.”

Passengers are asked to give a small donation on all volunteer-led services run by Local Link Louth Meath and Fingal. Patricia says: “The reason why we look for a donation is not to make money on it. But it’s to make sure that people understand that there’s a value on what they’re getting. For the Skerries scheme it’s €3 to go down the town and €10 to go to the hospital. We say to people that if for whatever reason they can’t afford the donation, that’s not a reason not to travel.”

The organisation also oversees a scheme in other parts of Louth, Meath and Fingal where volunteers drive their own cars. Local Link helps to match passengers with drivers living in their area or as close as possible. Volunteer drivers in this scheme receive a travel allowance for diesel or petrol costs, and for wear and tear on the car.

The impact of the community car scheme goes further than helping people to attend hospital appointments.

“It supports community. It also supports health services. And it means older people can live better at home, and they can stay at home for longer. And it means then that their family members can participate fully in employment, or do whatever they used to do, without having to take a day off here or there,” noted Patricia.

• Aidan Herron and Eric Byrne are volunteer drivers with the Skerries Community Car.

Volunteers say it’s humbling how grateful people are

Volunteer Aidan Herron from Skerries signed up to drive the community car after spotting an ad in his local shop.
He told Changing Ireland: “Most of the drivers are retired people who are looking for something to do. It’s a nice thing to do, and you meet lovely people; you hear some great stories.

“If you have to do two to three runs a week to Beaumont Hospital, a taxi is impractical. People were having to get the train into town (Dublin city centre) and then the bus – the whole day is gone. Getting on trains and buses is especially hard for people with mobility issues.”

Aidan says the initiative gives passengers “independence and a sense of security”. “They know who is coming and when. They love it, when you compare it to the stress and the strain they had to go through. And the strain on their families, trying to support them and their daily needs.”

He concluded: “You know that some people are going back home to an empty house. So you make sure that they’re ok for everything, if they have another need such as going to the shop. It’s humbling how grateful people are. I would encourage other people to volunteer. It’s a very worthwhile thing to do, and it’s a marvellous initiative.”

Advice for other community groups

Patricia advises anyone thinking of establishing a community car scheme to first speak to their local community council or development group to determine if there is a need. She advised: “Talking to the county council is a good thing as well. They’re looking at putting in mobility hubs, to have a one stop shop where you can get what you need in terms of electrified vehicles, whether that’s a scooter, a bike or a car.”

Most importantly, says Patricia, a successful community car scheme requires a strong community and dedicated volunteers.

“Our volunteers keep going all the time. They don’t like to see people stuck, so they’ll always be available. You do need a good team of volunteers, and the volunteers need to be supported as well. They don’t get paid for what they do, they feel like they get a payment in the good that they do. So it is important that volunteers have their own little community or support so that they don’t feel like they’re alone, because driving can be very lonely.”

Mobility hubs

In a further development, this year the National Transport Authority hopes to develop a strategy for setting up hubs that offer people shared car, bike and powered personal transporters (ebikes, pedelecs, battery-powered scooters).

The future is shared and will be driven by volunteers!