Appointment Support
| Caring Circle’s Volunteer Drivers Programs | This Caring Circle program provides transportation to Bowen Islanders of any age who need to get to health related appointments and have no other means available to them. Rides may be available for on-island as well as mainland appointments. An email is sent to volunteer drivers with your request and you will be contacted if and when a ride can be provided. Call Caring Circle at 604-947-9100 or email info@caringcircle.ca for more information. This program has been suspended due to Covid-19 but will be re-introduced. |
| Driving Miss Daisy | Contact to book a trip on the North Shore and Vancouver (not available on Bowen Island). One-time service or regularly scheduled personalized and customized services on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. |
| Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society | The Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society is a not-for-profit organization providing complimentary transportation in the lower mainland for patients battling cancer. If you are in need of transportation to care, they can provide you with a safe, timely and efficient ride. Their friendly team of volunteer drivers and dispatchers are only a call away. Volunteer drivers take patients to cancer-related appointments and will pick up at Horseshoe Bay. This service has been halted until June 22, 2021 due to Covid-19. |
| Travel Assistance Program (TAP) | Provincial programs can help with the cost of travelling to medical appointments. The Travel Assistance Program (TAP) is a partnership between the Ministry of Health and private transportation companies. Eligible B.C. residents must complete an application form, preferably two weeks before your travel date. Once approved, you can receive discounted travel on air, rail, and ferry routes. |
Information and Referral
| SPARC | The Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) is a registered non-profit society that provides parking permits for people with mobility issues. Permanent and temporary parking permits allow permit holders to park in designated spots throughout BC. |
| bc211 Helping Seniors on the Move 2-1-1 | bc211 call-takers provide seniors with information on transportation, including how to obtain a Compass Card, what to expect in transitioning out of driving, how to apply for HandyDART or HandyCARD, and how to access community shuttle services or volunteer driver programs. Seniors can obtain information on Metro Vancouver area transportation options 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
| Seniors Transportation Access and Resources (STAR) | STAR’s website offers centralized transportation information for seniors, their families, the community- based seniors services sector, and other transportation stakeholders. |
| Seniors Driver Discounts and Benefits | Information and resource links about discounts and benefits that are available to eligible seniors. Including ICBC seniors’ discount on drivers’ licence renewals and other savings on Autoplan insurance premiums. Special parking permits for people with a permanent or temporary disability are available through SPARC BC and Veterans’ License Plates. |
Public
| HandyDART | HandyDART is an accessible, door-to-door shared transit service for people with permanent or temporary disabilities that prevent them from using fixed-route transit without assistance. HandyDART does not operate on Bowen Island, but will pick up in Horsehoe Bay and drop you off at the accessible door of your destination. Customers must register for this program. |
| HandyCard | HandyCard allows travel at Concession fare prices on the bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express. If you require assistance, a companion can travel with you free of charge. Applications require a verification from your family doctor. |
| TransLink Trip Planning Tool | Plan your route on Translink public transportation, and set filters to meet your needs including options for the least amount of walking. |
| Taxi Saver Services | This program allows you to buy TaxiSaver coupons by mail or through the Compass Walk-in Centre in Chinatown to save 50 per cent on the cost of taxi fares. To find out more about the program, contact the Access Transit Customer Care office at 604-953-3680. |
| BC Bus Pass Program | Low-income seniors and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have access to the BC Bus Pass Program. Persons with Disabilities can receive a bus pass as part of their disability assistance. Low-income seniors and other eligible people can access the program at a reduced cost. A BC Bus Pass is a Compass Card pass that can be used on both BC Transit and TransLink systems throughout the province. |
| Seniors’ Shuttle Bus (West Van) | The shuttle bus in West Vancouver is provided by the Seniors’ Activity Centre. They offer pick-up and drop-off at various apartment blocks and businesses on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bus fare is by donation. 604-925-7280 |