Yes, a carer may travel with you free of charge. However they must be registered with BCTG, be over the age of 18 years of age unless officially registered as a “young carer” and be capable of caring for you and looking after your needs. The carer must be picked up from the same address as the client. Each client is only allowed one carer per trip.
For the purpose of travelling with BCTG the term “carer” is the person who provides support and assistance to the eligible client travelling in our vehicle. If a client needs the support of a carer (who travels at no charge that carer must stay with the client for the whole of the journey and appointment. Clients who stipulate that they need the assistance of a carer will be deemed to be unable to manage on their own.
Please note: “carer” is not the same as “companion”. For our scheduling purposes a “companion” is a spouse/relative/ friend who wishes to travel with a client for company, where the client does NOT need support and assistance to manage during the trip, or at the destination. A companion may only accompany a client, where there is room in the vehicle, without disadvantaging other eligible clients. A companion will be asked to make a contribution to the cost of the trip. The companion must be picked up from the same address as the client. A companion, who does not meet our eligibility criteria, may be declined transport where it would disadvantage service to another eligible client.