Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any steps she is taking to improve accessible transport options for disabled people in rural areas.
Minister for Infrastructure: Improving transport accessibility for disabled people, particularly those living in rural areas where transport options can be more limited, remains a priority for me. Through funding for concessionary travel, investment in new and inclusive vehicles and infrastructure for Translink and ongoing engagement with key stakeholders, I am supporting an inclusive transport network for all, including those living in rural areas.
Translink also provides personalised journey planning, travel advice and assistance for customers with accessibility requirements, helping disabled people to plan and undertake journeys with greater confidence, including in rural areas where services may be less frequent.
Throughout the Ulsterbus network, Translink provides vital links between towns and villages across the North, supporting access to healthcare, education, employment and community services. These connections are kept under review through ongoing transport planning and service development.
All scheduled bus and rail services are operated using wheelchair-accessible vehicles, with accessibility remaining a key consideration in future fleet procurement. This includes consultation with disabled people and representative organisations such as the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee. In addition, my department supports Translink investing in accessibility enhancements across the wider network, including a roll out of real-time passenger information and audio-visual next stop announcements on the Ulsterbus network, helping everyone to travel more independently and with greater confidence.
Translink and my officials regularly engage with disabled people through regional forums and partnerships, including its Accessibility Working Group, the NOW Group and the Age Friendly Transport Group. Feedback from these groups directly helps inform service planning, operational improvements and future investment priorities.
I have recently announced an investment of £1m in capital funding to replace vehicles in the community transport fleet. This investment will benefit rural Community Transport Partnerships across the North and support improved transport provision for vulnerable and disabled people living in rural areas.
Finally, I will soon launch a public consultation on Moving Together: An Inclusive Mobility Framework. The Framework has been developed to provide a strategic approach to improving accessibility, inclusion and mobility for older, d/Deaf and disabled people, including those in rural areas. The consultation presents a series of principles, objectives and actions aimed at removing barriers to mobility and embedding accessibility and inclusion across the Department’s policies, programmes and investment decisions.
ENDS
