AQW 41122/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 22/01/2015
Answered On Date: 30/01/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development for his assessment of off-peak, socially necessary, public transport provision.

Answer:

My Department has continued to provide direct subsidy to Translink to support the provision of transport options through the Rural Transport Fund (RTF) for socially necessary routes.

Many rural areas have benefitted from this including: Antrim, Armagh, Ballymena, Bangor, Coleraine, Craigavon, Downpatrick, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt, Newcastle, Newry, Newtownabbey, Newtownards and Omagh.

Socially necessary, off-peak public transport provision by its nature is transport that would be uneconomically viable without additional funding. It is important to say that until the latest budget the Department subsidised, through a substantial fuel rebate cost, all bus services.

The detailed implication of the budget for 2015/16 is yet to be worked out. However there will be difficult decisions to make regarding the future of services bearing in mind the overall funding to Translink and Community Transport has been reduced next year.