AQW 23234/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 17/05/2013
Answered On Date: 23/05/2013
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development whether he is aware of the difficulties that users of the Door-to-Door Transport service in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus are experiencing following the introduction of the Disability Action contract, and if so, what measures he has put in place to improve the service.

Answer:

The Disability Action Transport Scheme (DATS) which commenced on 1 April 2013 is operated by Disability Action. My officials were made aware that Disability Action wrote to all customers in the Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus areas at the end of March 2013 advising that due to operational issues in relation to the availability of accessible vehicles from Northern Ireland providers that there would be a limited service in April 2013.

However Disability Action has advised me that since then additional vehicles have been sourced and transport provision in that area has improved with a 43% increase in the number of trips undertaken since the end of April.