PEOPLE who depend on bus services to get out could benefit from a newly-introduced scheme aimed at helping people become more mobile and independent.

And a suggestion from one Todmorden councillor to use the scheme to provide a limited service, or when the traditional services are not operating, could be acceptable, says Calderdale rural transport partnership officer Peter Stubbs.

He has offered to discuss the idea with the town council and said he did not rule out the possibility of using the scheme to provide a substitute service.

"They will have to contribute half of the cost, use their own transport and provide a driver.

"The minibus, which I know has been given for use in the Longfield ward and other areas of Todmorden, is a possibility and we will have to talk about it carefully," he said.

The idea came from Councillor Frank McManus at a recent meeting of the town council, when Mr Stubbs outlined the proposals for the scheme.

He reported: "The parish transport grant is one of a range of schemes under the umbrella of the agency's 'vital villages' programme.

"The aim of the scheme is to enable rural communities, through their parish councils, to implement a wide range of small scale local solutions to meet their transport needs.

"A funding pot of £10,000 is available to each parish council over a three-year period to the end of March 2004 and this pot can be divided over a range of projects. It can be used to fund up to 75 per cent of the cost of a project.

He said that among projects which could be supported were taxi share schemes, community transport projects, social car schemes, diversion of local bus services or information initiatives.

Mr Stubbs, who held open days at Todmorden Town Hall and Ashenhurst Community Centre to promote the venture, said: "The scheme is open to local people to apply through the parish council for grant aid, and it is these local community groups who would be expected to carry out the development work with support from bodies such as the rural transport partnership and the rural community council.

"The scheme is here to encourage local communities to take a stake in their own transport provision and to ensure and encourage its use."