Falklands : Drivers Needed for Stanley's Blue Bus
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 06.05.2005 (Article Archived on 20.05.2005)
It was in the spring of 1990 that Mrs. Moira Buckland-James approached FINN with a news story that would be of interest.
Photos (c) J. Brock (FINN)
DRIVERS NEEDED FOR STANLEY’S BLUE BUS
By J. Brock (FINN) with Corina Bishop (FIBS)
Cllr. John Birmingham helps the late Mrs. "Sweet" Berntsen into the old Blue Bus
Fred Ford revamped the old LMA van into the first Blue Bus.
The old Blue Bus
The second Blue Bus
The first passengers on the second Blue Bus
It was in the spring of 1990 that Mrs. Moira Buckland-James approached FINN with a news story that would be of interest. It was about a group of volunteers who had clubbed together and acquired an old van from LMA that they were going to repair and repaint so they could take pensioners to the shops. “Van Cans” were placed around town in business locations so that enough money could be gathered to pay for the work, which was done by Fred Ford at his garage. Indeed, the van cans are still in the shops and pubs so that the money collected in them can be used to maintain the Blue Bus.
Though the first Blue Bus was originally red and white, it was carefully painted navy blue with a white stripe that had the lettering, “Blue Bus Co.” painted on. It didn’t take long for that re-vamped van to need replacing, so a huge campaign was mounted to raise the money for a new one. That van arrived in the mid ‘90s and it lasted until about eighteen months ago, when money was raised and a third van was ordered and delivered.
Now there is a great need for people to drive the bus on Mondays and Fridays. Corina Bishop (CB) asked Councillor John Birmingham, one of the drivers, about the need.
JB: As a large number of people will be aware, the Bus travels around on a Monday and a Friday and has done for the last 14 years. We are on our third vehicle but at the moment, we are having a bit of a problem with drivers. At present, there are only two drivers – that’s myself and Tim Blake. And, Tim’s going away shortly on holiday so it leaves just the one. And, there are times when I find it a bit of a stretch. What I am asking for is anyone out there, who has a bit of time to spare, if they would like to contact me on 21443, with a view to doing a couple of hours once a week or once every second or third week, to drive some of the elderly around some of the shops. It’s a 12-seater bus. We need a driver with a licence- fully insured. It’s a comfortable vehicle.
CB: Who uses the bus?
JB: The bus is the third in line, a continuation of a voluntary group set up some 14 – 15 years ago wholly to transport the elderly around Stanley and the odd trop out of town. It is purely for the use of the elderly.
The Blue Bus has been needed throughout these years by a growing number of pensioners who would otherwise be house bound and dependant on relatives and friends to do the shopping, banking and mail collection. If you have the time and want to help the pensioners, then please consider giving up a few hours on a rotating basis for this worthy cause.
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