16 October 2025
Connect Transport: Giving Up Your Car Doesn’t Mean Giving Up Your Freedom
For many people, driving represents independence and freedom. Being able to get behind the wheel whenever you like, pop to the shops, meet a friend, or head out for lunch is part of daily life. So when you have to give that up, because of health issues, mobility problems, or other reasons, it can feel like a real loss – and it can happen at any age.
But giving up your car doesn’t mean giving up your freedom. There are plenty of alternatives that make getting out and about easier, and lots of opportunities to stay connected from home too.
Our transport services
Connect Transport is our network of accessible minibus services that cover Basingstoke, Fareham & Gosport, Winchester, Havant, East Hampshire and the New Forest, for those unable to access regular public transport due to limited mobility or sensory difficulties.
Our Connect Transport Services are inclusive and easy to join – you do not need to be registered disabled or provide medical evidence. Fares are very affordable to save you money to spend where you’d prefer to, treat yourself!
Pompey Link is an on-demand transport option in supporting the Paulsgrove and Port Solent areas of Portsmouth, with connections into Cosham interchange and QA Hospital. At launch Pompey Link was the first public transport option to serve Port Solent in nearly a decade. Book your journey via an easy-to-use app or by phone, and a minibus collects you from a nearby stop and drops you off to a bus stop near your destination.
Where we run on-demand services, like in Northern Test Valley, you’re not tied to fixed routes or timings. You can request collection and drop-off between a wide range of stops, making travel more flexible.
We also run minibus hire for groups. If a local club, day centre or community group needs transport for an outing or regular programme, our accessible vehicles are available for hire. Wherever possible, we try to provide door-to-door service to make things easier.
We also operate Shopmobility services in some areas, which allow people with mobility impairments to hire mobility scooters or electrical wheelchairs to shop independently in towns.
Tea & Tiffin and Weekly Shopper
Our transport services also help people to stay sociable and connected to the community. Tea & Tiffin social club in Fareham and Gosport gives people a chance to go out to cafés or restaurants with others. We pick you up and return you home, making it easier to enjoy a meal or social outing without stressing about how to get there.
Trips might take you to Fareham, Whiteley, Locks Heath or Titchfield, or to garden centres, pubs and local restaurants. You can book up to two weeks in advance.
Tea & Tiffin is a “lifeline” for members like 62-year-old Gary, who is visually impaired. He looks forward to the outings because “it gets me out of the house and gives me a chance to talk to people.” Gary joined around five years ago and attends every other week. Read Gary’s case study here.
There’s also the Weekly Shopper in Fareham & Gosport. It’s a group bus run on a schedule, morning pick-up, return in the early afternoon, for your grocery shopping. Destinations rotate (e.g. Hedge End, Havant, local supermarkets), and you’ll be told your pick-up time the day before.
These social outings and shopper services help people to get out, meet others and maintain independence.
Socialising in your home
Being unable to drive can affect how comfortable you feel in your own home – you might feel isolated, stranded and overwhelmed, leading to daily tasks becoming a struggle. Home Help is designed to help you with basic housework or essential shopping. We aim to support people so that they can remain in their homes, maintain dignity, and feel secure.
Additionally, in Gosport, through our Befriending service, volunteers keep in touch with clients through visits or calls. That social contact helps reduce isolation, especially for people less able to get out.
These transport services, outings, clubs and home support can all help people unable to drive, feel more part of their community again.