COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

Committee Office Room 402
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX

Tel: 02890 521970
Fax: 02890 525927
Email committee.regionaldevelopment@niassembly.gov.uk

Mr Conor Murphy MP, MLA
Regional Development Minister
Clarence Court
10-18 Adelaide Street
Belfast
BT2 8GB

21 May 2008

Dear

I refer to your letter dated 12 March 2008, in which you requested Members note, and comment on the content of the Accessible Transport Strategy Action Plan 2007-2009.

In response the Committee would like to make the following points:

1. At the Regional Development Committee meeting held on Wednesday 10 October 2007, Members noted receipt of a letter detailing the ongoing review of the Accessible Transport Strategy (ATS) Action Plan 2007-2009.
2. At the Committee meeting held on 2 April 2008, Member noted receipt of your letter dated 12 March 2008 regarding the ATS Action Plan 2007/2009 and agreed to return to consider the draft Action Plan at the meeting of 9 April 2008.
3. During the Committee meeting held on 9 April 2008, Members received oral briefing from the Department on the ATS Action Plan 2007-2009, and officials agreed to provide further information on questions raised by Members. The supplementary information received was noted at the Committee meeting held on 21 May 2008.

Policy Consultation

4. Members note that the ATS forms part of the Department’s Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS) and has the vision:

“To have an accessible transport system that enables older people and people with disabilities to participate more fully in society, enjoy greater independence and experience a better quality of life”.

5. Members welcome the engagement by the Department with the Inclusive Mobility Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) to gauge their views on the Action Plan. The Committee also notes the Department’s engagement, in terms of public meetings which were held in 7 locations across Northern Ireland: Coleraine, Omagh, Cookstown, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Newry and Belfast.
6. The Committee notes that the Action Plan 2007-2009 contains 7 Strategic Objectives and supporting policies with required actions.
7. The Committee notes the following issues were raised during the consultation process:

• The need to address the absence of public transport opportunities in rural areas:
• Greater use of taxis in providing flexible public transport services and support for taxicard type schemes;
• A requirement that all staff involved in the provision of transport services be trained in disability issues;
• The need for better information about the transport opportunities available to older people and people with disabilities; and
• The need to tackle the abuse of the blue badge scheme by people not entitled to use it.

8. Members note that the issue of regional disparity was also raised, in particular:

• Decriminalised parking enforcement has delivered positive change in some areas and not in others;
• Door2door has been successful in some areas and not in others
• Some places have good accessible pedestrian routes whilst in others getting around towns and city centres remains a challenge; and
• Public transport was viewed as inaccessible outside the greater Belfast area, in particular that in Derry and Coleraine enhancements have been made to the public transport system yet they are still perceived by users as inaccessible.

9. The Committee also notes, the areas of improvement identified by people with disabilities and older people during consultations were:

• Free travel for people with disabilities and older people;
• Better enforcement of illegal parking on bus stops; and
• The introduction of audio visual information on buses

Committee Comments

10. The Committee welcomes any actions which will reduce social exclusion amongst older people, and people with a disability, as Members recognise these groups often have mobility problems preventing them from accessing public transport services.
11. Members would request the Department considers drafting action plans which make provision for longer time periods, as the current time frame for the action plan has almost elapsed before the consultation period has ended.
12. In relation to transport for older people, the Committee acknowledges the consultation on free travel for those aged 60-64, and strongly supports the work of the Department in implementing this policy. The Committee strongly supports IMTAC’s position in advocating that free travel for those with disabilities should be available in Northern Ireland, as is the case in the rest of the United Kingdom, and the Committee would urge the Department to bid for the money required for the extension of concessionary fares to people with disabilities.
13. At the Committee meeting held on 9 April 2008, Members received information on the problems which people with disabilities have in accessing concessionary fares due to the need to purchase single tickets. The Committee requests to be kept informed of progress on this policy by the working group established to address the issue.
14. Members support the Department in the introduction of disability training for all staff involved in the provision of transport services in order to encourage people with disabilities to use public transport, and would request written briefing on the timetable for training to be given to all Departmental transport providers. The Committee also welcomes the involvement of the Department in relation to the removal of the exemption for the operators of transport services from Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which will increase access to public transport by those with mobility problems.
15. The Committee notes the engagement of the Department with IMTAC on the draft Action Plan 2007- 2009, and would encourage engagement between the Department, and stakeholders, in advertising public transport services to people with a disability and older people.
16. The Regional Development Committee acknowledges that providing a transport service which will meet the needs of people living outside the major cities is one of the biggest challenges facing the Department, however the Committee is keen that the Department supports locally based, and Departmental transport initiatives in rural areas in order to reduce social exclusion amongst the most vulnerable in society.

Addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people in our society is a key objective of the Regional Development Committee, and Members are keen to engage with the Department in order to ensure the interests of people with disabilities, and older people are protected.

Yours sincerely

Fred Cobain, MLA
Committee Chairperson