Community Minibus Groups run transport services for the community on a not-for-profit basis. There are 21 Community Minibus Groups in Wiltshire and Swindon, operating around 60 vehicles (many of which are wheelchair accessible). Locally these groups are managed mainly by volunteers using a mixture of paid and voluntary drivers. Many of these groups are also registered charities.

In Wiltshire and Swindon Community Minibus Groups offer a range of services. These include scheduled public transport services (paid for by the local authority) and day trip services. Many groups also offer prebookable services or regular trips for groups of people who book their seats in advance. Prebookable services tend to be for individuals who cannot access alternative means of public or private transport. Locally pre-bookable services are often in the form of regular trips (e.g. shopping trips).

Local Community Minibus Groups make a charge to people who use their services. Details of prices charged by each individual group can be obtained by contacting your local community minibus group.

Prebookable Services

Pre-bookable services run by Community Minibus Groups tend to be for individuals who cannot access alternative means of public or private transport. Locally pre-bookable services are often in the form of regular trips for groups of people who book their seats in advance. These services are not public bus services and passengers must either be members of the local scheme; people the scheme is set up to help (such as older people) or people who live within a defined local community whose public transport needs are not met in other ways.

Typically, passengers must register with the group running the service and book in advance. Passengers normally pay for the cost of their trip either directly, by paying a fare, or indirectly through membership fees. Locally many Community Minibus Groups running pre-bookable services accept bus passes. Each group running pre-bookable services may have restrictions on the passengers they can carry.

Day Trip Services

Many Community Minibus Groups in Wiltshire and Swindon offer day trips to other towns and places of interest. Depending on the type of licence a Community Minibus Groups operates under, trips and days out can either be for:

• Members of the local minibus scheme, people the group is set up to help (such as older people), disabled people or people in education
• Members of the general public

Passengers need to book their trip or day out in advance with the Community Minibus Group running the service and bus passes cannot be accepted on these trips. For details of day trips run by your local Community Minibus Group (including who is eligible to travel and costs), please contact your local group via the transport directory.

Scheduled Public Transport Services

Scheduled public transport services run by Community Minibus Groups are local bus services which are open to anyone who would like to use them. These services are run according to a timetable and (like any other bus service), passengers do not need to book in advance.

Passengers pay for the cost of their trip directly by paying a fare. Locally all Community Minibus Groups running scheduled public transport services can accept bus passes on these services.