The service increases the elderly’s quality of life and prolongs their independence.
Many of older persons do not have a convenient transportation services available. Quite some of them do not have a driving permit or the medical conditions do not allow them to drive. At the same time they are living alone or with a partner who doesn’t drive as well. Usually in the rural areas the public transport is poorly develop and it is not matching needs of older adults’ population.
Sopotniki is bringing a transportation service to all the older adults who ask for it free of charge at the convenient time for them. They ask for the upfront booking via telephone call.
The developers are skillful social workers, who detects the need of free transportation services where public transport is not matching older adults’ needs. They have succeed to design such a business model which on long term enable reliable and free of charge transportation.
The second goal is to activate of passive rural population – to achieve a higher rate of participation in cultural happening and social life despite their remote dwellings. They are changing the state of loneliness and isolation of older adults, who don't have the luxury of transport.
The main stakeholders are:
- Municipalities: coordinating the service, financial contribution
(car/gasoline)
- Volunteers: drivers
- Relatives: promotors and companions
- Sponsors and donors: financial contributors
- Elders: main beneficiaries
Resources needed
To set up a Sopotniki in a new municipality there is a need of approximately 20.000 EUR (car and software) and one (not fulltime) coordinator. Additional cost are associated with car registration, insurance, gasoline and maintenance.
Evidence of success
The main evidence of success are satisfied and returning users. Their feedbacks are very positive. In four years of operation they have offered service to more than 1800 individuals, where most of them are regular users. Currently they are organizing more than 500 transportations per day. The number of municipalities who are joining Sopotniki is growing every year. The demand is huge and is served according to resources available (volunteers and number of cars).
Potential for learning or transfer
The good practice is bringing a much needed service (transportation) free of charge for end-users in the remote places where is quite difficult to establish proper transportation service. The practice can be transferred by three factors:
- Software for managing processes(organization of transport)
- Knowledge of necessary tasks to set up a service
- Approach to each stakeholder group
In four years of providing service, encourage by success in Slovenia ( high percentage of satisfied and returning users), they see this as an opportunity to apply service across rural regions of Europe. In Slovenia their service is already up and running in 15 municipalities across the country.
Tags: Communication, Inclusion, Social, Transport
