A collaboration between Pembrokeshire County Council, the Community Transport Project Management Group and Bloomfield Community Centre has resulted in a unique bus service which allows passengers to book their lift in advance, as well as providing the means for many school children across the county to be able to participate in extra curricular activities, operating in Pembrokeshire (writes Claire Hovey).

The environmentally friendly, LPG gas-powered fully accessible mini-bus, provided and maintained by the council and based at Bloomfield Centre in Narberth, seats up to 16 passengers and is wheelchair friendly. Part of the Bloomfield Bus initiative includes the 'Dial-A-Ride' service two mornings a week.

Available to anyone, the scheme offers transport into Narberth from the following villages: Ludchurch, Tavernspite, Lampeter Velfrey, Penffordd, Bletherston, Gelli and Llawhaden.

Passengers book a lift in advance, are collected from home, arrive in Narberth for 11 am and depart at 1.30 pm. The service operates on Mondays (Service One - returns to Narberth from Ludchurch, Tavernspite and Lampeter Velfrey) and on Thursdays (Service Two - returns to Narberth from Penffordd, Bletherston, Gelli and Llawhaden).

To book Service One, telephone Bloomfield on (01834) 860293 on the Saturday before the planned visit, and for Service Two, the Wednesday before. Membership to the 'Dial-A-Ride' scheme is £3 a year and half price for the over 60s and under 18s, and also includes membership of the Narberth and District Community and Sports Association and all facilities at the Bloomfield Centre. The return adult fare is £2, while children under 16 and concessionary pass holders pay £1.

But the service does not just provide transport to the Bloomfield Centre. The flexibility of the minibus means that, essentially, people can book transport from close to their own homes into the centre of Narberth and back again, giving them time in the town to go shopping, to the doctor's surgery, the bank etc.; people who for reasons of either disability, finance or other reasons of social exclusion would otherwise be unable to travel.

Of the 'Dial-A-Ride' service and the Bloomfield Bus, Irene Waring, of Penblewin, said: "It's just given us an independence we didn't have before".

Mrs. Betty Lee, of Penblewin, agreed: "We love the countryside and we look forward to our trips."

In addition to the 'Dial-A-Ride' service, the Bloomfield bus collects children of Templeton, Tavernspite and Narberth from their schools for the After School Club held five days a week at the Bloomfield Centre. This activity club is to be continuing throughout the summer holidays at the centre and the bus will also be used for occasional trips of the club.

However, instead of standing idle in between the 'Dial-A-Ride' and school services, the bus is also available for hire to all local clubs and organisations through Bloomfield.

This multi-purpose usage of the minibus proves to be exceptionally cost-effective within the organising companies, and this 'pooling of resources' can be nothing but beneficial to the public as the Bloomfield Bus and 'Dial-A-Ride' services are efficient, flexible and accessible to everyone. It enables the limited funding resources available to such schemes to be used to their full potential and can therefore be used by a much wider range of people.

The idea for a bus came from Bloomfield and was taken up by the Community Transport Management Group as it also fitted in with their transportation aims for the area.

Funding for Dial-a-Ride comes from a Rural Transport Grant from the National Assembly, with supplementary funding from the Environment Development Fund and support from the county council.