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(i) Handicapped Persons 4 Coaches with tail lifts
(ii) Mobile Meals 10 6-cwt. vans
4 Minibuses
(iii) Day Clubs 1 Minibus
1 10-seater Personnel Carrier
(with tail lift)
(iv) Blind Workshop 1 3-ton van
(v) Lunch Clubs 1 Minibus
1 6-seater Utilibus
(vi) Residential Accom1 Utilibus
modation
(vii) Environmental Health 3 6-cwt. vans
1 10/12-cwt. van
(viii) Supplies 2 10/12-cwt. vans
(ix) Bathing Centres 3 Minibuses
1 6-cwt. van
2 10/12-cwt. vans
(x) Mental Health 1 Morris 1000 car
(xi) Nursing Service 1 Morris 1000 car
The policy of using minibuses for the 'Meals-on-Wheels'
service proved economical in vehicle operation as they could be
utilised for other types of work both before and after the
'Meals-on-Wheels' rounds.
In addition to the vehicles mentioned above, 3 5-cwt. vans
were loaned to the Department by the W.R.V.S. for Mobile
Meals operations and the British Red Cross Society also contributed
one for this service.
The Department had only one tail lift coach at the 1st April,
1965. Two more were delivered in September and, towards the
end of the year, the last of the ordered vehicles was delivered
making a total of four. A shortage of this type of vehicle had
been anticipated and, therefore, in order to provide sufficient
suitable transport for handicapped persons, a system of pooling
of available vehicles had been devised in conjunction with the
London Boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark. This enabled
all activities for handicapped persons to proceed without interruption.
Such arrangements are to be reviewed at the end of
the first year of operation in the light of each Borough's fleet
strength so that pooling could be discontinued as soon as their
respective vehicle strengths became satisfactory.
By the end of the first year of operation, it was found that
our fleet of vehicles could meet most of the requirements of all
health and welfare activities and, by judicious use of each
vehicle, wasted time in 'standing-by' was eliminated and hiring
of vehicles was reduced to a minimum.