More staff and an extra vehicle are being laid on to cope with the increasing demand for meals on wheels across Tendring.
The number of drivers involved in providing the service for the elderly and housebound is being upped from 22 to 26.
Two will be taken on immediately and an extra van leased while another two drivers and another van are expected to join them in the near future.
Tendring Council recently won the contract to provide meals on wheels until April, 2007, while it is supplied by WRVS Commercial Services across the rest of the county.
The county council estimated that 134,000 meals a year were delivered in Tendring - although it was in the region of 100,000 in April, 2002.
The service was set up to cope with a maximum of 11 routes routes and 22 drivers. But Mike Bateson, acting head of community services at Tendring Council, said since the start of the new contract, the demand had increased dramatically and now averaged 2,800 a week.
"That equates to 146,000 a year and requests for new meals are continuing to be received - 11 in one day," he said.
Mr Bateson said efforts hade been made to reorganise routes but added there were no possibilites for further expansion with existing staff levels.
Published Wednesday, April 16, 2003
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