Nelly van der Heijden (88) is a walking advertising column for the Bossche Seniorenbus. That bus has been taking the elderly to their card club, family or hospital in the municipality for almost ten years now. “I get the comment so often, will you come with that van? Then I say: ‘I can’t drive for that money!'”
And saving money isn’t the only benefit Nelly sees. “I don’t have to look for a parking space and they hand me my bag!”
Nelly is a fanatic user. “When my husband was alive, we were in the van at least four times a week. He was missing a leg due to a vascular disease and was therefore not very mobile. Unfortunately, he was one of the first corona deaths two years ago. I recently had my car given to the grandchildren, because I think the Senior Bus is ideal.”
However, there is a minus. “The office hours they drive prevent you from getting stuck somewhere when it’s fun,” says Nelly.
Chairman Rob van Bergen (66) of the Bossche Seniorenbus is aware of this criticism. “We are expanding our services. We would also like to serve other groups, such as young people with disabilities.”
A broader ‘timetable’ is not yet very simple.” We work with volunteers aged 32 to 81. You do not want to send the elderly out late and young people also have a life of their own,” says the chairman. But it is being worked on.
He is happy to hear all the advantages and conveniences that Nelly lists effortlessly. “We want to keep the elderly involved in society. If public transport is difficult, because the stop is too far to walk or the groceries are too heavy, we want to help.” And that with only volunteers and with donations and subsidies, says the chairman.
The popularity of the Bossche Seniorenbus is growing. They are now at 650 subscribers. And that while corona has wreaked havoc on the member base. “We are now missing 100 former users and yet we have grown. The members pay 6 euros a month and 50 cents per trip, regardless of the number of kilometers. But within the municipal boundary.”
Nelly doesn’t have a favorite driver. “They are all nice and you have to make something of it yourself of course. But they all sympathize with you when you have something to celebrate or when things go a little less. They always took me to my sick husband at the time. When things went wrong, they would also have been touched. Then you feel less alone.”
In any case, the fleet will increase in mid-February and two electric cars will be added in addition to the six diesel buses.