"His licence has been suspended

and I just can't handle the traffic up there," my elderly acquaintance told me.
They are both in their 80's. He's been in hospital recently and he still isn't really well, indeed may never be really well again. They need to get backwards and forwards to hospital appointments and their doctor.
She had brought the car as far as the shopping centre to do some essential shopping but I could see she wasn't happy about that either. 
It isn't a good way to be driving at all. She knows that but they don't live close enough to public transport to get to where they need to go.  One of their children helps but also works and is not always available.
So far the only transport assistance they have had is a temporary permit for use in designated parking space. 
    "And I don't like to use those places because there are other people who need them even more."
No, she is thoughtful of others. She would rather totter into the supermarket and the chemist using a shopping trolley as a walking aid.
It is obvious to me that they need transport assistance. She knew nothing about the transport assistance scheme. 
     "I'll down load the forms and bring them around I told her."
She thought it was "good" of me. It isn't. I just think of it as something that has to be done. It is what their doctor should have done months ago. I shouldn't have to be the person telling her about it and getting the forms. Doctors have all that sort of information available to them. They should be using it. I know some do. Our previous GP arranged taxi vouchers for the Senior Cat when he broke his leg. Towards the end of that time when the doctor realised there were going to be longer term problems he arranged for the situation to move from temporary to permanent. The Senior Cat has been sparing in his use of them. He has relied on Middle Cat for appointments whenever possible. His friends have returned all the favours he did for them over the years and got him to church and occasional social events. 
It still means his social life has been curtailed. It is the same with this elderly couple. It is the same for so many other people I know who don't have the ability to use transport independently.
Someone said to me recently, "Accessible buses are all very well if you can access the buses."
I know what he meant. He can't actually get to a bus stop. I could get to a bus stop but if I can't put the trike on the bus then there isn't any point in catching the bus. 
Someone wanted me to help with a day long event recently. I would like to have supported her but it is being held on the other side of the city. It would have meant catching a train or bus into the city, a bus to another location and then yet another bus from there to the venue. I worked the journey out and, even if I could walk at a normal speed and crossed major roads safely on foot, it would have taken about two and a half hours on a Saturday. In a car the same journey would take about forty minutes. 
I explained to the person asking for help and she sighed and agreed with me that it just wasn't possible. 
In just under a fortnight I will need to go into the city for four days straight to help a friend at the craft fair. Fortunately the venue is not far from the main railway station. I can take my trike on the train and pedal there and back. I won't even need to cross a road in the city to get there. I can do that but I had to think of that before I agreed - although I know she would find transport for me if necessary. 
But we shouldn't need to think about things like that. These aren't things we do simply for pleasure. They are part of what we do which makes us human. Everyone should be able to access transport conveniently and at a reasonable price.
I hope when I see my elderly acquaintance again her doctor has signed the form and they can feel more secure about getting to their appointments.