Access to Transport report can’t gather dust

21 February 2019

As the Dáil prepares to debate the report on ‘Accessibility of Public Transport for People with Disabilities’, Labour Disability spokesperson Declan Meenagh, has welcomed the publication saying it listened to the voices of people with disabilities, and lists important changes needed for us to have an accessible public transport system for all.

Mr Meenagh, who is a candidate for Cabra/Glasnevin area of Dublin City Council said:

“I use the Luas and because I can’t see the signs on the tram I’m dependent on other people. It’s not always clear which tram I am getting on. The announcements need to be improved so I can use the tram independently.”

Labour Disability Chair Mick Keegan said:

“A lot of money has been invested in making kerbs high enough to allow wheelchair access to Dublin Busses. We need drivers to pull in so people can actually use them. We need to work on road design to make sure this is always possible and we need to improve training of drivers.”

“Other European countries can have little to no notice times for getting help to use public transport, Ireland should be the same. It is not credible to have to give 24 hours notice to use buses or trains. If your plans change, you are then stranded. We welcome the trial on Irish Rail to reduce this waiting time, but it is not enough.”

“It is so important that new busses and trains are fully accessible. The voices of people with disabilities need to be included by the NTA when buying new vehicles, as we want to avoid the costs of fixing accessibility issues after.

“We welcome the recognition of the cost of disability in this report. If people with disabilities can’t access public transport, they can’t access healthcare, employment or cultural activities. This results in social isolation and loneliness. We are calling on Minister for Transport to quickly implement this report and for all parties to support this work.”

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