Visiting the grandchildren again, finally going shopping again or simply coming to the doctor in the neighboring town on your own – all of this is now easily possible in Weinstadt for people with restricted mobility from the age of 60: with the Weinstadt senior citizens’ mobile. The car, a VW Caddy maxi with seven seats and space for a walker and walking aid, is now on the road from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Remstalkommune.
“This is a very good, additional offer for our older fellow citizens,” said Mayor Michael Scharmann in a press release from the city of the inauguration on Saturday in the monastery courtyard. The senior mobile means a little more freedom and self-determination in their lives for users. “The radius of action of our seniors in Weinstadt is now larger – and also designed in a simple way,” says Scharmann. Despite adverse Corona circumstances, the people in charge of the association around Waltraud Bühl managed to find volunteer drivers and sponsors who made the use of this vehicle possible, reports the newly founded association “Senioren-Mobil Weinstadt eV”.
Register early for a trip
The senior mobile works like this: Interested parties should register their transport request at least two days before their planned trip – by email to [email protected] or on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. by phone on 0 71 51/9 44 37 92. That The office needs the desired appointment and time, the pick-up and destination address and a telephone number for queries. Then the trip within Weinstadt is planned, the date agreed and the timetable for the senior citizen’s mobile is created.
Basically, a few rules apply to the use of the new offer: The senior mobile drives older people to go shopping or to the doctor’s appointment, to therapists, authorities or even to friends.
No travel to bus or train
However, there are no feeder trips to the bus or train. Because the senior mobile is not a taxi company with an obligation to transport. Visits to the doctor also have priority over shopping trips. Ambulance transport and wheelchair users are unfortunately not possible.
“It’s about more mobility in everyday life for seniors in Weinstadt”, Waltraud Bühl is quoted in the city’s press release: “It’s nice that we now also have a senior citizen’s mobile home in Weinstadt.” In her opinion, it is “necessary that we use the senior mobile because the public transport connection is not sufficient. ”From the point of view of the association, not only the journey but also the social approach to the senior citizens who often live alone play an important role in the operation of the senior mobile. The organizers had already discovered this during a test run two years ago.
There are already seven volunteer drivers
In the past, the City Seniors Council had campaigned for a voluntarily organized senior citizen’s mobile. The local council and the city administration also signaled their support early on. The city of Weinstadt is now contributing 3,000 euros annually to cover fixed costs such as taxes and insurance. At the moment, the association has seven volunteer drivers who take turns in shift work. The association is also grateful for further helpers.
According to the association, many sponsors have also campaigned in Weinstadt to ensure that the senior mobile can now be launched: The Richard-Ritter-Stiftung, Der Remstal-Markt Mack, Volksbank Stuttgart, the Spieß’sche and the Viadukt-Apotheke, the community foundation, the VDK Endersbach / Strümpfelbach, the Staatliche Toto-Lotto GmbH, the locksmith Klaus Deuser, undertaker Michael Langhammer, the Kreissparkasse Endersbach, Dr. Herrmann Spiess and the Schäfer butcher shop.
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