Community Transport

What do we offer?

Transport can be provided for people to attend medical and other appointments, local social outings and shopping trips.  There are different arrangements for services in Ouyen and Sea Lake. Please read the information below to find out about access.

Volunteer drivers will collect people from their home, drive them to their destination and return.  A volunteer escort can be provided for those needing assistance during the trip or at the destination. 

Sharing a vehicle

To maximize services for everyone, it may be necessary to share a vehicle and some flexibility in pickup and return times may be required to accommodate everyone.​

Sometimes because of high demand, resources may be exhausted.  When this occurs we may not be able to assist with your booking.  We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding in these circumstances.

Service Times

Please ensure you notify at the time of booking if there are additional tasks you require as part of the service.  Please do not ask the volunteer driver for extra tasks as time may be limited due to their next booking or a requirement of their time or vehicle access.  Volunteer drivers are not responsible for bookings.

• In Ouyen there is a Friday shopping bus.
• In Underbool there is a Friday shopping car that comes into Ouyen.

Community availability

Ouyen

All bookings for the Ouyen and district service are made with the MTHCS Transport Coordinator on 0419 371 445 and need to be made at least 24 hours in advance for local trips and 3 days for longer trips.

Sea Lake

MTHCS coordinate Community Transport at Sea Lake which is dependent upon the availability of volunteer drivers. For people aged 65 years and over, please request Transport through My Age Care by calling 1800 200 422. To find out if the Sea Lake Community Transport program can support your needs, please call the MTHCS Transport Coordinator on 0419 371 445.

How to access this service

All customers requesting this service need to be assessed by My Aged Care or undertake a HACC assessment to ensure eligibility and that the service can cater for client needs.

Fees

MTHCS receives funding to coordinate the service in Ouyen.  There is a fee for the service which is calculated based on kilometres travelled.  People are encouraged to apply for VPTAS or DVA funding to contribute to the actual cost of the transport.  Transport fees are available on request and are based on covering the running costs of the vehicle.

Fees are invoiced monthly unless prior arrangement has been made with the coordinator.

Please note: Transport may not be available on days of extreme weather conditions, and Heat Health Alert days.  Transport availability may also be dependent on the availability of vehicles and volunteer drivers.

Useful resources