RURAL South Lakeland residents stranded by patchy bus services are being offered an alternative form of public transport as the 'Rural Wheels' pilot project hits the road.

The £200,000 experimental project aims to provide a door-to-door service for rural residents via subsidised transport, including taxis, community minibuses and voluntary car schemes as part of 12-month experiment starting from November.

People who want to use the scheme will be kitted out with 'smart cards' with a special call number to call so they can request transport giving at least three days notice.

It will cost users 30p a mile - considerably less than a taxi, which costs £1.60 a mile, but more than a bus.

Payment will be by the card, which users can top up at post offices and shops.

The project has been designed and funded by a partnership between Cumbria County Council, the Countryside Agency, Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust and Help the Aged with support from South Lakeland District Council and parish councils.

The Countryside Agency has stumped up the lion's share of funding with a cash injection of £157,000.

"This scheme will fit the needs of rural people much more closely than anything else before," said CCC transport spokesperson Coun Kevan Wilkinson.

"It is aimed at reducing social exclusion for people living in the more

remote areas where public transport is a real problem."

For the pilot scheme, the service will be operating in 16 South Lakeland parishes and journeys are allowed between the participating parishes and to Ulverston.

But if all goes well, the county council has said it would like to expand the scheme.

Cheryl Cowperthwaite, CCC's community transport officer, said: "The pilot project will give us masses of hard information about people's needs by showing the journeys made and that will enable us to improve the scheme and put us in a position to expand it in the future."

She added that 'Rural Wheels' should slot in with services already provided by commercial bus and taxi firms.

"There is no intention on our part to take anyone's business away - I don't think we are in the same market."

Dianne Whitehead, of CCC's Ulverston office, said they had taken 30 calls since they began publicising the scheme in September, including some particularly harrowing tales of transport dilemmas from elderly women.

"We had one lady who was living on the outskirts of Hawkshead who could no longer walk into the village.

She dearly wanted to be able to shop in Hawkshead again.

Another woman has a friend who drives out to visit her but is on the point of giving up her licence.

She thinks it's wonderful that they will still be able to meet."

Mrs Whitehead stressed that people could fix rural wheels trips for any reason.

"People seem to think they need a good reason to use the transport - to go to the doctor or hospital - but the difference with this scheme is you just have to want to travel and have the credit on your card.

It can be to have a cup of tea with friends or a hair cut."

l Leaflets with application forms are being sent out to homes in the participating parishes this week.

People who haven't seen a leaflet but would like to get their hands on a smart card to take part in the Rural Wheels scheme can get a form from the council on 01228-606721 or e-mail luke.vose@cumbriacc.gov.uk.