Enhanced transport service for Coastal Taranaki

Help is now here for Coastal people unable to get to essential commitments such as social service, medical or hospital appointments. The community are being urged to attend a public meeting this Wednesday the 19th of June to finalise how this service will operate and what the next steps are.

The new project sees current services operating through the Taranaki Emergency Transport Trust and Friendship Club merge to form the new ‘Coastal Taranaki Community Transport Service’. Emergency Transport Trust member Debbie Campbell says “It will be exciting to offer our community an upgrade to the existing service that we’ve had on the coast for a number of years. We hope this unique service will enable more people to attend their appointments.”

The merger between current services came about when the Taranaki DHB Public Health Unit consulted with the community in 2011 and found that transport services were not ideally meeting the needs of the public. From there the New Zealand Red Cross have also come on board to support the project as well as the Taranaki Regional Council and the Coastal Taranaki Health Trust.

Taranaki DHB Health Promoter Alisha Stone says “We are pleased that this new service will build on the strength of current transport services in Coastal Taranaki and will continue to use local volunteers”.

The public meeting will be held on 19th June, 10am at the Hughson Room, Napier Street, Opunake.

For more information please call
Sue Carrington
Media Adviser
Ph 021 367 789

Last updated: Tuesday, June 18, 2013