by Nick lillitosnlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk

Disabled people could soon be no longer able to hire mobility scooters in Maidstone’s shopping centres.

Fifty per cent of them are broken down and are now so old they would be too expensive to repair, say town management officials, who this week have issued an SOS for sponsors to help buy new ones.

Centre manager Bill Moss says that without sponsorship the shopping mobility scooter service will grind to a halt due to lack of funds.

Every week some 40 disabled people hire the scooters to get around the shops for just a £3 hire.

"Sadly our financial resources are now so tight, we can no longer afford to buy new ones or to maintain them unless we have sponsorship help,” said Mr Moss. “Zero hour is fast approaching.
“At the Chequers we had four scooters for hire but two are now beyond repair, leaving us with just two in operation. At Fremlin Walk just one out of two scooters now works. We are just months away from the service having to be disbanded.”

A new mobility scooter costs about £2,000 and requires some £500 in annual running and maintenance costs, which includes insurance.

One regular user Jenny Posnett (pictured above) from Birling, told the KM: “It’s becoming very difficult to hire one now.
“I regularly come into Maidstone to shop once a month but have been told that half of them are no longer working."

Mp Helen Grant has come out in support of the appeal.