Community transport

Community car schemes

Most community car schemes use drivers based in your village to whom you pay a per-mile rate

If you can’t find a scheme covering the area where you live, it is worth contacting a neighbouring scheme which may be able to help you. You would normally have to pay to cover the extra distance a car would have to come to reach you.

Community transport operators

The guide below gives information on community transport schemes in South Cambridgeshire.

Balsham Good Neighbour Scheme - Telephone: 07508 430 057

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Barrington Car Scheme - Telephone: 07926 938 211

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Barton Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 07837 813 250

Types of journey: Medical journeys

Bassingbourn Car Scheme (part of the Heron Group) - Telephone: 07592 783 566

Villages covered: Bassingbourn, Kneesworth

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Beaches Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 07807 875 878

Villages covered: Waterbeach, Landbeach, Horningsea, Milton, Chittering

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Bourn Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 07948 112 531

Villages covered: Bourn, Longstowe

Types of journey: Medical journeys

Caldecote, Dry Drayton & Hardwick Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 01954 210 638  

Villages covered: Caldecote, Dry Drayton & Hardwick, Childerley

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Cambourne Car Scheme - Telephone: 07526 998 465 | Email: cambournecarscheme@gmail.com 

Villages covered: Cambourne, Caxton, Covington, Elsworth, Knapwell, Papworth

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys (Taxi card)

Cambourne Community Minibus - CamCare UK Trip Consent Form

17 seater mini bus available to hire for local communities

Comberton Village Help Scheme - Telephone: 01223 262 246

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Cottenham Care Car Scheme - Telephone: 01954 251 929

Villages covered: Cottenham, Oakington, Westwick

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Eversden Car Scheme - Telephone : 01763 245228

Contact Royston and District Community Transport

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Foxton Social Car Scheme - Telephone: 01223 572 147

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Fulbourn Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 01223 756446

Villages covered: Fulbourn, Teversham, Great & Little Wilbraham

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Gamlingay & Hatleys Car Scheme - Telephone: 07519 493 701 | Email: skin.a128812@gmail.com

Villages covered: Croydon, Gamlingay, East Hatley, Hatley St George, Little and Great Gransden, Longstowe, Tadlow

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Grantchester Car and Neighbourhood (CAN) Scheme - Telephone: 07752 678 252

Types of journey:Medical and essential social journeys

Grantchester – Taxi card

Guilden Morden Car Scheme (part of the Heron Group) - Telephone: 01763 852125

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Harston Social Car Scheme - Telephone: 01223 871 657

Types of journey: Medical and essential social journeys

Haslingfield & Harlton Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 07800 883 634

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Histon, Impington & Girton Car Scheme HIG - Telephone: 01223 297881 Email: hig.car.scheme@gmail.com

Villages covered: Histon, Impington and Girton

Types of journey: Medical, shopping and social journeys

Histon, Impington Minibus Service - Telephone: 07502 372852 | Minibus service website 

Types of journey: Group shopping and social outings

Litlington Social Car Scheme (part of the Heron Group) - Telephone: 01763 852 272

Villages covered: Litlington, Abington Pigotts

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Orwell Social Car Scheme (part of the Heron Group) - Telephone: 01223 207 307

Villages covered: Orwell, Wimpole

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

OWLS Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 07505 254 363

Villages covered: Over, Willingham, Longstanton, Swavesey

Types of journey:Medical and social journeys

Rampton Car Care Scheme - Telephone: 01954 204 481

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Shelford Support Group - Telephone: 07804 041 173

Villages covered: Great and Little Shelford, Stapleford

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Steeple Morden Car Scheme (part of the Heron Group) - Telephone: 01763 852 602

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

St Ives Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 01480 301 462

Villages covered: Fen Drayton, Papworth

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Papworth Everard – Taxi card

St Neots Community Car Scheme - Telephone: 01480 476 047 | 07869 714680

Villages covered: Caxton, Eltisley, Graveley

Types of journey: Medical and social journeys

Huntington Association of Community Transport (HACT) 

The Huntingdon Association of Community Transport (HACT) is a community transport provider that serves villages towards the Huntingdon side of South Cambs.

Residents living in the villages listed below can book their journeys by phoning HACT on 01480 411 114, by 1pm the day before travel:

• Eltisley 
• Croxton
• Caxton
• Longstowe
• Abbotsley
• Waresley
• Gamlingay
• Little Gransden, Great Gransden
• Arrington
• Croydon
• Orwell
• Wimpole
• Great Eversden, Little Eversden
• East Hatley, Hatley St George

The Taxi Card Scheme is run by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA)

It helps to cover some of the cost of taxi journeys for people who find it difficult getting or using public transport, and those who don’t have their own vehicle. The scheme is only for people aged 65 or over who live in the parishes listed below:

Papworth Everard

• Fen Ditton, Horningsea and Teversham

• Fulbourn, Girton, Grantchester, Histon, Impington, Oakington and Sawston

• Cambourne (Great, Upper & Lower)

• Babraham

Journeys need to be mainly for essential purposes such as medical appointments or shopping.

Complete a Taxi Card Scheme application on the Cambridgeshire County Council website

You can contact Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for this scheme at community.transport@cambridgeshirepeterborough.ca.gov.uk or call 07874 861259.

You may be able to claim a refund under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) for the cost of travelling to hospital or other NHS places for NHS-funded tests and treatments. More information can be found at the NHS for England website.

NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport  

In general, patients are responsible for getting themselves to and from non-urgent NHS appointments. NHS Cambridgeshire funds patient transport when:

• the patient’s medical condition is such that they need the skills and support of Patient Transport Services staff - and where it would be harmful to the patient’s condition or recovery if they were to travel by other means
• the patient’s medical condition affects their mobility so that they wouldn’t be able to access healthcare by other means
• the patient’s cognitive (mental) state or lack of motivation could result in them not attending if their travel were unsupported

Further details:

• 1 escort or carer may also travel with the patient if they need that support
• children under the age of 16 years must be with a responsible parent or guardian
• patient transport is arranged through your GP surgery and is subject to eligibility
• if an escort is required, you must let your GP know at the time of booking transport
• if you’re not eligible for patient transport, you’ll need to make your own travel arrangements

Help With Travel Costs

If you’re on income-based benefits, low income or are a war pensioner you may be able to get help with your travel costs.

For more information on this, contact your local Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS): 

• Addenbrooke’s PALS: 01223 216 756
• Papworth Hospital PALS: 01480 364 896

The Voluntary Network helps people with transport who are most vulnerable in maintaining their independence. They also offer a befriending service, giving support to those who find themselves isolated.

The Voluntary Network operate a door-to-door, dial-a-ride service covering selected South Cambridgeshire villages, which are:

• Linton
• West Wickham
• Great Wilbraham
• Weston Colville
• Carlton
• West Wratting
• Horseheath,
• Castle Camps
• Weston Green
• Abington
• Balsham

All drivers are fully trained and insured.

There is a joining fee of £20, renewable yearly, and the fares are much cheaper to local buses.

Contact details:

Tel: 01638 664304 - Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm

Email:  info@thevoluntarynetwork.org

Care Network Cambridgeshire works with Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to support Community Car Schemes.

You can contact the Cambridge Care Network at admin@care-network.org.uk or call 01954 211 919.

We are also contactable on duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk or 01954 713070  and we will be able to give you more information.

Just one journey a week could really help a vulnerable member of your community.

Royston and District Community Transport (RDCT) offer door-to-door transport 7 days a week for people living in Royston and surrounding villages of South Cambridgeshire. This service is available for people who can’t use public transport for reasons of age, frailty, or mobility. Volunteer drivers use their own cars, and the scheme also has wheelchair accessible minibuses and multi-purpose vehicles. Examples of journeys include: travel to day centres, shopping trips and medical journeys. There is a Medical MPV available for single wheelchair users who can’t transfer to a car. 

• RDCT are currently prioritising medical journeys for vulnerable, elderly or wheelchair bound passengers. Call them to discuss individual needs.
• They’re on the look-out for volunteers. Get in touch through their web page: Royston and District Community transport

Contact details:

Tel: 01763 245 228 - 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday

Email: info@roytrans.co.uk

Huntingdon Association of Community Transport (HACT) serves villages towards the Huntingdon side of South Cambs which include:

• Eltisley 
• Croxton
• Caxton
• Longstowe
• Abbotsley
• Waresley
• Gamlingay
• Little Gransden, Great Gransden
• Arrington
• Croydon
• Orwell
• Wimpole
• Great Eversden, Little Eversden
• East Hatley, Hatley St George

Residents living in the villages listed above can book their journeys by phoning HACT on 01480 411 114, by 1pm the day before travel

The Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership (CRP) brings communities together to:

• promote sustainable and healthy travel
• improve the station environments, and promote green projects
• work with local schools and young people in promoting rail safety and caring for our station environments
• recognise and promote the importance of local businesses in the community

Recent projects by the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership include:

• building confidence to travel with “try a train” trips
• encouraging tourism along the Cambridge to Hitchin line with ideas of activities at each stop.
• projects at each station offering gardening opportunities for planting, weeding and watering by volunteers 
• safeguarding the Cambridgeshire Student Connect Card which gives a 50% travel discount 
• representing the views of local residents by submitting responses to local transport project consultations

Read more on their website or get in touch with sarah.grove@scambs.gov.uk

Rail User Group

The CRP hosts a local Rail User Group, which represents the interests of rail travellers using Govia Thameslink Railway, especially with issues relating to services and facilities at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton railway stations. The aim of the group is to work on the retention, improvement, and greater usage of the line which links the village stations to Cambridge, Royston and London.

Read more about this on the website or get in touch at railusergroup@gmail.com

E-bikes are a great way to get around in a quick, low-carbon way. The community E-bike service, developed by Cambridge Electric Transport, with the help of funding from our Zero Carbon Communities Grant, means that you can hire e-bikes in areas around South Cambridgeshire.

You can find the E-bikes in Teversham, Northstowe and surrounding villages, and the Abingtons.