Frequently Asked Questions

A Tramper is an all-terrain mobility scooter specially designed for exploring the countryside. It can use unsurfaced footpaths and tracks and go across open ground. Gradients of up to 1 in 4 (25%) are comfortable. 

We use Trampers at all our hire locations so that once you have been trained to use it on your first hire you will feel safe and confident when you visit any of our hire locations (you will always be offered the option of a refresher of the controls). 

Watch the video for a full introduction

If you are unsure about your suitability to use the Tramper visit our membership page. If you are specifically unsure about having limited strength or control in one arm or hand scroll down this page to see more information to this question. 

Anyone wishing to use a Tramper at one of our hire sites needs to become a member of Countryside Mobility. There is a choice of Annual membership (£15.00), 2 week (£5.00) or single use (£3.00).

Hire sites can choose whether to have a hire charge or not so it is best to check with the individual sites. The majority invite a donation which contributes towards their efforts to improve access while others (particularly if they have an entry fee) may provide the service free of charge. At sites where there is a hire fee it should normally be a maximum of £2.50 per hour (or equivalent).

You do not have to be 'registered' as disabled or have a Blue Badge to join the scheme and use the mobility equipment. The scheme is open to anyone who has difficulty walking because of a a temporary or permanent mobility impairment.

All of the sites listed on this website have been thoroughly checked by Countryside Mobility staff and access auditors to make sure they are safe and easy for you to use with a Tramper. When you visit a site you will be given a map showing which paths or areas of the site can be accessed with the Tramper and site staff will explain any areas that cannot be visited.

The paths on most sites are also usually way-marked so it should be difficult to get lost! When you take the Tramper out, staff will give you a phone number to call should you have any problems so you will need to take a mobile phone with you. Where mobile phone signal isn’t very good you may need a companion with you to assist or go and get help should something happen.

We also make sure that each site has a system in place to deal with breakdowns or any other issues. This means they can quickly get to you or get you back to where you started in the very unlikely instance that you have a problem.

There are two types of membership available:

• Annual membership lasts for 12 months and costs £15.00
• Taster membership lasts for 2 weeks and costs £5. This is ideal if you are visiting the area or if you want to try a Tramper without committing to the full membership. You can upgrade to an Annual Membership (within 2 months of the start date) which will be dated from the start of your Taster Membership. 
  There is also the option of a single use membership which costs £3.

Anyone aged 14 and over who has a permanent or temporary physical disability, or a condition that affects walking ability, can apply to become a member.

The safety of our members and other visitors at our sites is very important to us and there are some Terms and Conditions of Use that apply to the scheme.

Make sure you read through these terms and conditions before completing your application form to check you are eligible to join. Unfortunately, for safety and insurance reasons not everyone will be able to join the scheme.

Read the Countryside Mobility Medical and Health Information and Terms and Conditions of use and carefully check that the scheme and equipment are suitable for you - you are the best judge of your own ability.

Contact your chosen site to book your first time ‘Tramper Training’ – this will last a maximum of 15 minutes and is a short familiarisation session to make sure all the Trampers functions and controls are understood.

Attend your chosen site and ensure you take the following documents:

• Photo ID (Photo driving licence, Blue Badge, bus pass, passport).
• Proof of address (Utility bill, bank statement, credit card bill, council tax bill)
• The appropriate membership fee (any cheques made payable to ‘Living Options Devon’)

After your training site staff will get you to complete and sign a Membership Application Form. You will keep a copy of this form to use as proof of Temporary Membership when visiting other sites and a copy will be sent to us. If you have applied to become an annual member then we will send you annual members card as soon as we can.

Please note: If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must provide photo ID and accompany you for the Tramper Training and at each site visit.

The mobility equipment is available to hire at close to 50 countryside sites and visitor attractions across the South West region. The equipment can only be used on paths and trails at our sites and cannot be taken away for use elsewhere. Visit our Locations page for an up to date list of sites participating on the scheme.

You can also use your Countryside Mobility membership to access hire locations operated by our partner Lake District Mobility. 

The ‘Tramper training’ is designed to make sure you have the skills and confidence to safely operate a Tramper at our sites.

You will be given a 5-10 minute training session at your chosen site. You will be instructed on how to use the Tramper. Once you have been trained and have signed up as a member you can use the Trampers at any of our participating host sites for only £2.50 per hour! Check our website for an up to date list of sites.

Read the Countryside Mobility Medical and Health Information and Terms and Conditions of use and carefully check that the scheme and equipment are suitable for you - you are the best judge of your own ability.

Contact your chosen site to book your first time ‘Tramper Training’ – this will last a maximum of 15 minutes and is a short familiarisation session to make sure all the Trampers functions and controls are understood.

Attend your chosen site and ensure you take the following documents:

• Photo ID (Photo driving licence, Blue Badge, bus pass, passport).
• Proof of address (Utility bill, bank statement, credit card bill, council tax bill)
• The appropriate membership fee (any cheques made payable to ‘Living Options Devon’)

After your training site staff will get you to complete and sign a Membership Application Form. You will keep a copy of this form to use as proof of Temporary Membership when visiting other sites and a copy will be sent to us. If you have applied to become an annual member then we will send you annual members card as soon as we can.

Please note: If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must provide photo ID and accompany you for the Tramper Training and at each site visit.

Our health and medical requirements state that "You should have sufficient upper body strength, upper limb mobility and hand dexterity to grip both Tramper handlebar grips securely and operate the twist grip". The Tramper uses handlebars for steering and a twist grip to start and stop - speed is controlled using a combination of a dial and a switch.

To assist there is a switch on the Tramper that allows you to choose which twist grip to use - left or right. Watch the video shown.

The key factor is therefore whether you can safely steer and control the Tramper.

We encourage anyone who would like to see whether the Tramper is suitable for them to go to one of our hire locations and try the Tramper. If you find you can control it safely in the induction at the hire base then the membership will be processed and you can head off to explore using the recommended routes. The member of staff or volunteer hiring the scooter has the authority to make the final decision as to whether it will be safe for you to proceed. If it is not possible, any membership fee paid will naturally be refunded. 

One of the reasons that it is not possible to become a member online or in advance is because a key element of becoming a member is demonstrating during the induction that you can safely control the Tramper. 

We therefore suggest that you contact the hire location in advance, explain your situation and book a Tramper. If for some reason the person you contact at the hire location is unsure then please make contact with Countryside Mobility direct.  

It may be possible that you are able to control the Tramper safely with the assistance of your companion. If this is the case then both names will be recorded on the membership form/ card and this combination of people will be able to use the Tramper in future. 

If a hire site has more than one Tramper route then they may be able to advise you as to which routes will be easiest for you or parts of the route that could be more difficult. 

The Countryside Mobility scheme currently operates Tramper scooters

Tramper - a mobility scooter specifically designed to be used safely on rough and uneven ground, mud and grass. It is very robust, with light, accurate steering and tailored suspension, making it easy to handle and comfortable to ride on. For more information visit the manufacturers website.

All our equipment has to be booked in advance directly with the host site. You can find the contact telephone number or email address for each site in 'Locations' page of this website.

Our starting point is to offer the opportunity for individuals to hire a Tramper unaccompanied where this is possible.

We look at this on a site by site basis as part of the access audit. The main consideration is the ease with which a person hiring a Tramper could report they were in difficulties if something went wrong (thankfully this is very rare but we need to plan for the scenario). If a person is unaccompanied, a mobile phone is the main means of reporting to the hire base and so we look at whether there is a reliable mobile signal across the route. If there is not - as is the case in a lot of the rural areas where our Tramper hire locations exist - then we are unable to offer the opportunity for people to go unaccompanied.

The exception to this would at sites or areas within a site where there is a regular stream of staff, volunteers or other visitors which would make the absence of a reliable mobile signal less significant. As a consequence there are some hire locations in areas with a poor mobile signal where it is still possible to offer unaccompanied hire due to it being a relatively small, enclosed site where visitors are in a concentrated area. At some sites, routes in more remote parts of the site may not be permitted if unaccompanied but other routes in more popular areas are possible to explore unaccompanied. 

It is a good idea to check when booking the Tramper if you are keen to explore unaccompanied to avoid disappoitment. 

Over time, as rural mobile signal improves (very slowly!), it is quite possible that more hire locations will be possible for exploring unaccompanied. 

The safety of our members and other visitors visiting our sites is very important to us. Because of this there are some restrictions on how and where the equipment can be used.

• You must complete some basic training before hiring a Tramper for the first time to demonstrate they can operate the Tramper safely.
• You need to provide valid photo ID - driving licence, Blue Badge, Bus Pass, passport; and proof of address - bank statement, utility bill, credit card bill.
• The hire periods and induction session times will vary at each site according to staff availability and opening hours.
• Site staff will advise which routes are suitable for the Tramper - weather conditions may restrict access to certain routes.
• Trampers are limited to a maximum of 4mph for safety reasons.
• There are Terms and Conditions of Tramper use - users must sign a disclaimer each time they want to hire a Tramper to confirm that they still meet them each time equipment is hired.
• You are required to carry a mobile phone and any other safety items issued by site staff.
• We recommend that you are accompanied when using a Tramper but at some sites this is compulsory.

For more details visit the Membership page.

If you have a 2 week "Taster" membership we would love you to upgrade to becoming an Annual Member so that you have time to enjoy the full range of sites on offer.
This must be done within 2 months of your Taster membership starting.

You can upgrade:

• At one of our sites - just pay the £10 and provide the membership number (shown top right on the form you were given when you first joined) along with the original site name.
• Print and complete our Upgrade Form, quoting your temporary membership number and return to us with a cheque for £10 (payable to ‘Living Options Devon’).
• Alternatively you can upgrade online through our membership page.

We will then send you a new membership card. This will be valid for 12 months from the date your Taster Membership started. 

Unfortunately it is not possible to upgrade a single use membership. If you want to extend your membership, we recommend that you simply take out a Annual or 2 week membership when you next hire a Tramper.

Countryside Mobility works in partnership with outdoor locations to offer Tramper hire. Sadly, it's not as simple as us simply 'giving' a Tramper to a location.

The charity that runs Countryside Mobility, Living Options Devon, first of all has to raise the funding to buy a Tramper. The Tramper is then available to be leased to an outdoor attraction as part of a full package of support. This includes carrying out an access audit, training the staff/ volunteers who will be hiring out the Tramper, providing them with all the documentation, insurance and servicing. 

The lease fees from our partner hire locations are the main source of income to cover the running costs of Countryside Mobility. 

For an outdoor attraction interested in hiring out the Tramper they therefore have to make the financial commitment to paying the annual lease fee and making staff and/ or volunteers available to hire out the Tramper (up to 15-20 minutes for new members). This can make it more difficult for smaller outdoor locations that have limited premises and personel to host a Tramper but we have made this work in some locations and always see if it's possible to find a solution. 

It's really helpful for us to be aware of potential locations for Tramper hire. This helps give us ideas for locations which we may not have thought of and helps us when we approach a potential hire location to show that there is interest from users. Email: [email protected] or call 01392 459222 (and ask for Countryside Mobility) with any ideas you may have.

For a countryside site to be suitable for this project it should have:

• An outdoor visitor attraction or natural starting point for walkers (we have hire points in cafes, Tourist Information Centres, holiday parks and hotels) 
• A suitable (and interesting) network of paths that are safely accessible to a Tramper scooter.
• Accessible facilities - toilets, parking, visitor centre etc.
• Secure storage for the vehicle when not in use.
• Staff on site (ideally including weekends and holidays) who are able to spare the time to assess users and book the vehicles in and out.

If your organisation or visitor attraction is interested on becoming a 'host site' please contact us on 01392 822372 for more details.

CM leases Tramper scooters to partner sites in return for an annual payment of £1295. This payment covers the cost of insurance, staff training, health and safety guidance and all servicing and maintenance of the Tramper. Sites can charge for the rental of the Tramper to members for a recommended charge of £2.50 per hour. This rental income can be kept by the site to help cover costs. There is an additonal one-off fee that covers an access audit/ risk assessment and initial training for site staff/ volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a CM site please contact us on 01392 822372 or [email protected]

The scheme is managed by a part-time Project Manager hosted by the charity, Living Options Devon . There is also a small team of an Operations Manager, Membership Officer and Support Officer (all part time).

Staff training is provided by Countryside Mobility and covers all aspects of the scheme including the use of the Tramper scooter, health and safety, disability awareness and all CM systems and operational procedures.  It is recommended that partner organisations ensure that all site staff complete first aid training and are CRB checked if lone working.