AQW 50324/22-27
Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 02/07/2026
Answered On Date: 22/07/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any actions her Department is taking to reduce transport-related costs and barriers, as identified in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report entitled, Disability and poverty in Northern Ireland.
Answer:
I welcome the publication of The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Disability and Poverty in NI and I acknowledge the financial pressures facing many disabled people. The report highlights the significant additional costs faced by many disabled people, including transport-related costs and barriers to accessing employment, services, and social opportunities. My Department supports a range of measures to reduce transport costs and barriers for disabled people. Through the Concessionary Fares Scheme, eligible disabled people can access free or discounted travel on Translink services. Similar concessions are available on the Strangford and Rathlin Island ferry services through the SmartPass scheme. I had planned to reconsider the option to extend half fare travel to free travel again as part of my 2025/26 budget allocation decisions but due to a major ticketing systems upgrade in Translink, this was not possible. Officials are actively working in close collaboration with Translink to consider how this policy could be implemented should budget be available in the future. In addition to concessionary fares, my Department provides financial support to the rural Dial-a-Lift transport service and the urban Disability Action Transport Scheme which offer alternative travel arrangements to those who it difficult or impossible to use mainstream public transport. Working with Translink, my Department continues to improve the accessibility of public transport. All Metro and Glider buses are low-floor and wheelchair accessible, while the majority of Ulsterbus, Goldline, and rail services are accessible to wheelchair users. Translink also provides assisted travel services, accessibility journey information, and support for passengers with hearing and hidden disabilities. Through its Accessibility Policy and Better-Connected Strategy, Translink continues to work with disability organisations to identify barriers to travel and improve the accessibility and inclusivity of public transport services across the north . My Department also works closely with the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) and other stakeholders to improve the accessibility of public transport services and infrastructure, ensuring that disabled people can travel more easily and independently. This includes the provision of accessible vehicles, stations, and passenger facilities. This ongoing engagement has resulted in continued improvements to the public transport network to ensure that it better connects people to opportunities, including the many disabled people who currently use public transport services to get to work. I recognise that there remain accessibility challenges and I will continue to champion ongoing engagement to identify solutions to ensure that we have a public transport system that is more inclusive to the needs of everyone in society, including people with disabilities. Affordability remains a key priority. As of May 2026, it has been just under two years since bus fares last went up in the North. I took the decision to freeze public transport fares in the context of continuing cost of living pressures and to provide certainty to passengers. With fuel prices remaining high, I did not believe it would be right to increase fares and place further pressure on households who rely on buses and trains every day, including disabled people. Keeping fares stable helps support people at a challenging time and ensures public transport remains an affordable option for all.
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