Driving Miss Daisy New Plymouth is the Taranaki arm of Driving Miss Daisy, a nationwide New Zealand franchise network providing companion driving in private vehicles. The New Plymouth East and New Plymouth West franchises are both listed under franchisee Mel Henshilwood, working the city and surrounding Taranaki area.
### Service model
The network's model differs from a conventional taxi or shuttle service. Rather than a point-to-point fare, the driver stays with the passenger for the duration of the outing — accompanying them into an appointment, assisting with shopping, or waiting and returning them home afterwards. The company's stated positioning is "we're family when family can't be there", and the core market is older passengers and people who no longer drive or need support to travel.
### Services
Published services for the New Plymouth franchise include transport to medical and allied-health appointments, hairdressers and similar personal appointments; assisted shopping trips; accompanied outings to cafes, cinemas and museums, with small groups of friends catered for; school and activity runs for children; airport and bus depot pick-ups and drop-offs; transport for passengers with special needs; and taking pets to the vet.
### Accreditation and driver credentials
A wheelchair accessible vehicle is available on request. Driving Miss Daisy states that franchise owners and drivers are trained under New Zealand Transport Agency requirements to carry passengers with impairments or disabilities, including passengers travelling in wheelchairs. The New Plymouth franchise is listed as an ACC vendor, and the network participates in the Total Mobility scheme, under which eligible passengers receive a subsidy on each trip up to a maximum set by the local regional council.
### Suitability for business events
This is a small private-car and shuttle operation, not a group transport company, and it should be scoped accordingly. It is a sensible option for individual delegate transfers around New Plymouth, staggered airport or coach-terminal pick-ups, VIP and speaker movements, and — most usefully — accessible transport for a delegate with mobility requirements who cannot readily board a coach. For whole-conference movements or incentive group touring in Taranaki, a coach or minibus charter operator will be the appropriate supplier, with Driving Miss Daisy engaged alongside it to cover accessibility and one-off individual needs. Availability, vehicle type and whether a booking falls within the franchise's usual service pattern should be confirmed directly.
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