One electric scooter user has been left 'devastated' after Shopmobility Coatbridge announce its closure.
The Shopmobility hub in the town centre allows those with disabilities to safely run errands and navigate the shops on the main street.
However, with both the base in Coatbridge and Motherwell set to shut, many feel as though they will be stranded.
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John Sharp is now hoping to raise awareness regarding how the loss of the service last Friday could impact a number of people.
He told Glasgow Live: "I use them at least five times a week.
"If it goes under, my quality of life is halved straight away. It means I won't have access to the town centre and I personally think the town centre isn't just for people that can walk, the town centre is for everybody.
"There will be no more barbers, dentist, pharmacy, Tesco, Asda. People like me are looking at a life watching afternoon TV, we really rely on them.
"I'm devastated and I'm scared as well. I'm looking at spending my life a lot more at home, it can get quite depressing."
After working as a plasterer in London for 25 years the 56-year-old had a stroke. He returned north of the border in 2008 and began to use the scooters a few years later.
John said: "My mobility is really bad, if I fall I can't get back up.
"I fall in the house all the time but if I fall in the house I can crawl into the living room and get on the couch to help me stand up. If I fall outside I can't get back up.
"So Shopmobility has been a real God send to me. My mum uses it as well, she feels devastated.
"All the service users are devastated. It feels like we have been given a sentence to stay at home."
Many have become reliant on the service not just because of its handiness when carrying out errands, but due to the freedom given to users.
The 56-year-old explained: "I use it for practical reasons but it is also good for our mental health.
"it's good for your spirits to get out the house go down the high street and get a coffee. Just to be out for a couple of hours is good from an emotional and spiritual point of view."
Since the closure on October 28 was announced many have suggested that John should purchase a scooter of his own but the practicality of the hub is what made it special.
The man from Holytown said: "I can't drive a scooter five miles to Coatbridge town centre, you can't drive a scooter five miles to Motherwell town centre.
"Shopmobilities are always in the town centre. There is one in Silverburn and Braehead, but if you were travelling to Silverburn from Motherwell it's a 40-mile round trip for a loaf of bread and a pint of milk."
However, the potential closure has resulted in John taking to action in an attempt to save the relied upon Shopmobility hubs from closure.
The scooter user has organised a protest for Thursday, October 13, to show the public how much the service means to the community.
The organiser said: "People will be in disability scooters holding placards and they will say 'Save Our Shopmobility'. The plan is to get a convoy of disabled scooters going down Coatbridge's main street.
"I was out today putting out flyers."
There is still a glimmer of hope, with the 56-year-old praying that the North Lanarkshire Council step in to save the project they initially started at the turn of the millennium.
However, the chances of that happening seem slim.
John said: "The council used to run it and it was a great service but in 2019 the council gave it to a charity and they have always struggled financially.
"I would like the council to retake it up, but I'm 99 per cent sure they are going to mothball it. Right now the council's position isn't clear yet."
Shopmobility Coatbridge made it clear that they have held out for as long as they could.
A spokesperson said: "This isn't something we wanted to do but unfortunately due to the money it costs to run, it wasn't something we could sustain.
"It's not been an easy decision to make. We went to the MPs last May asking for help, explaining that we could be shut by August, we managed to get six months of funding.
"We did contact MPs to see if they could help this time but they couldn't. We've tried other options to keep the service going but it is just not viable, nobody seems to want to fund it."
A council spokesperson said: “The council helped the charity to try and source alternative funding to allow the Shopmobility service to continue, and we are disappointed it is closing.
“The service was previously run by Town Centre Activities Ltd, an arms-length organisation managed by the council. With significant budget savings to be made for the year ahead, the council is not in a position to provide funding for this service.”
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