AQW 39660/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 02/12/2014
Answered On Date: 16/12/2014
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of the effectiveness of services such as Door-2-Door, concessionary fares, and improvements to rural transport provision in enhancing access to public transportation for older people and people with disabilities in urban and rural areas.

Answer:

The Door-2-Door service (now known as the Disability Action Transport Scheme) is available to members in urban areas with a population over 10,000. In 2013/14 over 140,000 journeys were made by the membership of this scheme. The Northern Ireland Concessionary Fares Scheme supported in the same period nearly 13 million journeys made by holders of the Senior, 60+ or Half Fare smart pass. Rural Community Transport Partnerships (supported by the Rural Transport Fund) provided 530,000 journeys for their members in 2013/14 which included those who are elderly or have a disability.

The effectiveness of these schemes which are transport interventions aimed at addressing social exclusion or rural isolation will be considered in the context of development of a new Accessible Transport Strategy for the period 2015-2025.