Man says bus cut will mean he cannot get to job

A man in Guernsey says he will not be able to get to his full-time job following the news that a bus service for disabled islanders is stopping from July.

UnLtd at the Ron Short Centre said it was told on Wednesday its application to the Social Investment Fund had been rejected, forcing it to stop its transport service.

Lee Vaudin, 46, said: "It means a lot to me to actually get here [to work] because I get paid a wage for doing what I do. The Ron Short bus comes to pick me up in the morning and take me back at night. If there is no way of getting in, I can't come."

However, the States of Guernsey said there were other options for islanders like the Voluntary Car Service and Income Support payments, which could be used to cover travel costs.

The UnLtd service was introduced in 2022 following a States push for improved accessibility.

Organisers said for the last seven months it had been propped up by the Ron Short Centre reserves, in the hope the service would receive a grant.

However, their application to the Social Investment Fund was denied.

The fund gets applications from different charities and it decides which to offer money.

The bus service will stop from 1 July.

Bus driver, Nick Darrieulat, 51, said the service was "essential, otherwise these people would be stuck at home 24/7, and just getting depressed, [but] this gives them the opportunity to have a life".

"When I arrived on the island, I was asked to do this job and it changed my life.

"Losing it, or the threat of losing it, means that I lose a whole new family plus my ability to survive on this island."

Marc Winn, innovations director at the Ron Short Centre, said: "Having a disability is often very isolating and this maybe one of the only places that people can go and be transported to in their week.

"Its a hugely vibrant and wonderful place but it actually costs money to deliver those services and bring people here."

The States said it wanted to reassure islanders there was help available in getting to and from essential appointments.

It said it included the Voluntary Car Service, which was available through Health Connections, and people struggling with the costs of transport could also apply for Income Support.

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