Community Transport (CT) meets the transport needs of communities where these needs are not or cannot be adequately met by public and/or commercial transport. CT activity can range from providing accessible door to door transport for people with mobility problems, to helping the social inclusion of a wide range of people who otherwise would not be able to participate in the normal activities of everyday life, education and training, employment. In rural areas CT can lessen the effects of geographical isolation by giving better access to local and regional centres. CT is an essential part of an integrated transport system feeding into and out from the main public transport corridors and interchanges. In Powys there are several successful CT schemes in operation. The majority have developed to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups especially older and disabled people.

These schemes include:

• Dial-a-Ride Schemes
• Taxi Card Schemes
• Community and Voluntary Car Schemes
• Community Buses (Section22)
• Group Hire Scheme (PAVO)

Information and membership application forms can be obtained from individual schemes.

All CT schemes in Powys are members of the Powys CT Forum. The Forum, set up in 1992, is a group of representatives (50+ in 2005) from the voluntary and statutory sectors which meets quarterly and is instrumental in developing and co-ordinating CT policy in Powys. It is supported and partly funded by Powys County Council and Powys Teaching Health Board.

The Forum is supported by the CT Section of the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO). The section receives funding from Powys County Council and Powys Teaching Health Board.