Slinky Bus
Slinky is a bookable transport service funded by Somerset County Council. All the vehicles are designated as ‘accessible’.
Who is eligible to use the Slinky Bus Service which serves Corfe, Pitminster, and Blagdon Hill on Mondays and Thursdays each week? Those who:
– Do not have access to a public bus service or
- Do not have your own transport i.e., no car of your own or
- Have a disability which means you are unable to access a public bus
It is open to people of all ages and there are facilities for transporting electric and manual wheelchairs, pushchairs, scooters, guide dogs, personal shopping trolleys, and support frames but it is not just for disabled folk.
To use the Slinky, you will need to register and become a member. You must be over the age of 16 to register. Parents, guardians or carers once registered can book for their dependents. Passengers under the age of 5 need to be accompanied by an adult.
- Booking online through the Slinky app, or,
- Calling 01823 331266
Passengers may travel to any specific destination they request, so long as Slinky’s remit allows and the journey does not impact an existing bus service.
Existing provision allows passenger journeys from 7:30am until 5pm. Current top destinations are Musgrove Park Hospital and Dean Barton Community Hospital (Cotford).
Reservations can be made from 9am to 3:30pm, for up to 2 weeks in advance, and 1 hour beforehand (depending on availability).
Taunton & Wellington’s Slinky service has 4 buses in their portfolio, each bus is a 16-seater vehicle with 1 wheelchair space.
One concern raised with my by constituents is that bank details may be required to use the service. This is not the case, you can pay for your bus fare when getting on the bus; in fact, 99% of all Slinky bookings are paid by passengers on board.
Ticket fares
Single fares for those with a concessionary bus pass are:
- Under 3 miles: £1.10
- Over 3 miles: £1.40
Single fares without a concession are:
- Under 3 miles: £2.20
- Over 3 miles: £2.80
Child fares also apply.
There is no means tested approach to ticket prices, I am informed they are based on concessionary and national structures.
All Slinky users are asked if they can walk 300-400 yards to a convenient location for the bus to stop, this allows for accommodation of vehicles and driver safety. If this cannot be done for mobility issues, there are circumstances where door pick-up is appropriate.
Somerset Council are keen to inform residents that the Slinky service is an existing viable solution to serve those currently without a dedicated bus service. Whilst it cannot account for every required individual journey due to limited capacity, with more residents using the service it increases the financial viability of Slinky.
You can find how to use the Slinky here: Slinky Digital – Taunton and Wellington
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Dial-a-Ride
The Corfelifts Community Car Scheme is no longer running.
However, Somerset Council does offer a Dial a Ride service
It runs from Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, operating in the Taunton and Wellington area using a fleet of 16 seater minibuses. We provide a door to door service for passengers for various reasons including medical appointments, shopping, leisure and social events. Our buses are wheelchair friendly and our drivers are willing to lend an arm to assist the passengers to board the bus.
Fares vary but we can advise passengers of the cost when they make a booking. There is a 50% concession for people with a bus pass.
You can book up to 14 days in advance.
Our booking line number is 01823 331226.