Transport Connections Southern Metro
Connections on the ground - Southern Metro
The Transport Connections Program (TCP) provides funding for local organisations to coordinate projects and initiatives that improve access to services and community life for those who experience transport disadvantage. This case study showcases how TCP works on the ground in the Southern Metro region.
Sharing the solution on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula Transport Connections is seizing an opportunity to make better use of a range of existing transport options currently operating in isolation. Past attempts to address transport disadvantage in Mornington Peninsula have suffered from a lack of coordination between service providers – the Community Transport Solutions project seeks to redress this.The project involves a shared-service model that draws on a pool of resources from a variety of organisations across government and not-for-profit sectors. A project officer will coordinate the services centrally and maintain a vehicle register and volunteer pool.
The project officer will ensure existing resources are working where they are needed in the community. Crucially, the project enables groups to find the community transport resources and volunteers they need while also helping to cover the running costs of transport assets.
Rita Kontos, TCP Coordinator - Mornington Peninsula, said the project is focused on some key principles.
“We aim to engage the goodwill of organisations to bring about better transport outcomes for individuals and agencies,” Rita said.
“This project taps into spare capacity of vehicle and volunteer resources and provides benefits to organisations to match their efforts.
“The project will enable better transport resource coordination through a quality improvement and risk management framework.”
Organisations who have already committed to the model include TransAccess, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Peninsula Support Services and Southern Villages Network.
Mornington Peninsula Transport Connections is currently accepting expressions of interest from other organisations in the hope that more residents can gain access to an even wider range of resources.
If you are an organisation based in the Mornington Peninsula region and would like to enquire about getting involved please email Rita Kontos.
Southern Metro Projects and Contacts Areas covered: Casey and Cardinia Area covered: Mornington Peninsula