Find out how to get involved in the Fingal Community Car Service

Fingal County Council, in partnership with Local Link and GoCar have recently launched the pilot ‘Community Car’ service.

The Community Car service is the first of its kind to be implemented by a local authority in Ireland and is now operational in the Howth and Skerries areas. Two electric Vehicles have been provided for this pilot initiative which recognises Fingal’s commitment to Climate Change Action. 

Who can avail of the Community Car Service?

The Community Car has been set up to bring people to

• Hospital and Health appointments. 
• Local town to access pension / banking / shopping.
• Local community activities – Men’s sheds, active retirement groups, local community meetings, etc.
• Nursing homes to visit family /friends.

How can people avail of the Community Car Service?

To book a seat on the Community Car scheme

• Ring 046 9074830 or email flexibus@locallinklmf.ie
• If you are registered your name and contact details will be in the office
• If not you can register over the phone.
• Book your trip whether to town, hospital, nursing home or community activity.

Want to become a volunteer driver with Local Link?

Here’s how to get involved. To volunteer for Skerries or Howth Community Car

• Ring 046 9074830 or email flexibus@locallinklmf.ie  and put your name forward as a volunteer

What’s Involved?

Community Car scheme is an initiative aimed at involving volunteers in their local communities, helping community members, through the provision of supported transport. The Volunteer Driver will provide essential door to door transport for passengers identified, who have difficulties accessing public or other forms of transport.

This will include:

• Services such as hospital visits
• Access to transport for health services that would otherwise not be possible.
• Providing a lifeline to people for things like pension, shopping, community activities,  and banking.

How it works?

As a volunteer, you state a regular time when you are available to be on call for volunteer driving. You are then placed on a panel of drivers available for call out as needed. In the majority of cases, you will receive several days notice to see if you are available for a specific journey. You do not have to be available all the time! You will contacted only for driving during the hours you stated you are available and even then if you cannot take that journey, that is no problem.

Full training will be provided for this role at a time and date convenient to volunteers.

What’s required for this position

Essential Criteria

• Full Clean Driving licence

Other Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of geographical area
• Ability to deal with older people, people with disabilities and a wide range of people requiring transport in the community
• Basic computer skills are desirable, but not essential.

On completion of the course all volunteers will be up to date, fully certified and qualified to drive at the required standard that the Local Link services demands. Drivers will be more confident out on the road both in their role as a driver, a community car driver and duties to the people they will transport. As part of the training, drivers will also be taking part in an individual basis for a drive-out in their vehicle and Garda Vetting will be carried out.

Who do you need to contact: Patricia Cassidy, Flexibus. Email: patricia@locallinklmf.ie      Phone: 046-9074830