In brief: Jersey taxi service Ryde has stepped in to support Les Amis after the charity was forced to sell its two wheelchair-accessible vehicles and faced a six-month wait for replacements. Ryde is offering discounted rates and a simplified booking system for care workers, making Les Amis its first charity partner under a new “Ryde Care” initiative.
A Gap in the Road
Les Amis, the Jersey charity that supports adults with learning disabilities, found itself in a difficult position when its two wheelchair-accessible vehicles reached the end of their useful life. Selling them was unavoidable, but sourcing replacements proved far from straightforward. Channel Eye reports that the charity was facing a six-month wait to replace the vehicles, leaving care workers and service users without reliable adapted transport in the interim.
Shaun Findlay, Managing Director of Les Amis, explained the particular challenges involved: “We had an urgent need for suitable vehicles after ours had reached the end of their useful life. Unfortunately, the delay in supplying replacement vehicles meant that we were short of options and the requirements for the vehicles we need differ from many that are available.”
He added that accessibility goes beyond simply having a ramp: “When using them, you need to have sufficient space around the vehicle so that it is accessible for our residents and service users along with the additional complications they have.”
Ryde Fills the Breach
Into this gap stepped Ryde, the local taxi service, which has invested in two brand-new, fully electric wheelchair-accessible vehicles and arranged specialist training for its drivers. The company is offering Les Amis discounted rates alongside a straightforward booking system designed for care workers to use without fuss. Les Amis becomes Ryde’s first charity partner under its new Ryde Care programme.
Charlie Petulla, Co-Founder and Director of Ryde, said he had seen the problem at close quarters: “I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be for people with additional mobility needs to find reliable transport in Jersey, and that’s something we’re determined to help improve.”
Petulla described the partnership as the start of something broader: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome Les Amis as Ryde Care’s founding charity partner. For us, this is just the beginning of working more closely with Jersey’s charities and community organisations to improve accessible transport, whilst exploring ways to make these services more affordable and sustainable for the people who depend on them.”
Why This Matters for Jersey
The story shines a light on a practical problem that rarely makes headlines: the shortage of wheelchair-accessible transport on the island. For people with mobility needs, or for charities supporting adults with learning disabilities, the gap between needing a vehicle and being able to obtain one can stretch to months. Jersey’s relatively small market means that specialist vehicles are not always readily available, and the lead times for new supply can leave vulnerable people stranded.
The Ryde Care model, pairing a commercial operator with a charity at discounted rates, offers one practical answer to that problem without requiring public funds or a government programme. Whether other operators follow suit remains to be seen, but the principle is a sound one: a private business identifying a community need and building a service around it.
Source: Channel Eye
