The Tees Valley Rural Community Council may scrap its community minibus service amid funding and volunteer shortages, The Northern Echo reported.
The charity was given two new 16-seater accessible minibuses last year to help voluntary organisations and isolated rural communities, which were provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) through the Community Minibus Fund.
However, the vehicles arrived two years later than expected, meaning the charity’s lottery funding to pay for the administration of the service had run out.
Rita Lawson, CEO of Tees Valley Rural Community Council, said: “Unfortunately due to financial resources and other issues the trustees have made the decision that we will be reviewing our community transport.
“Between now and the end of June, we are looking at any alternative way of being able to provide community transport. It may be that we do have to cease the operation, but predominantly it is because we are subsidising it as an organisation, and we are a charity.”
Rita also said that the lack of available volunteer drivers had meant staff were often required to drive buses, which is unsustainable.
