To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what measures are in place to ensure that people with disabilities can access public transport.

The accessibility and inclusivity of our public transport network is vitally important for me and I am fully committed to providing inclusive and accessible Public Transport and facilities for all customers.

I am pleased to advise that both my Department and Translink work closely with the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and value the contributions and advice of public transport users with lived experience of disabilities to inform how we can continually make improvements to the accessibility of the network.

Translink is currently carrying out a Rail Halt Accessibility Assessment Project which will carry out an accessibility audit of all stations and provide proposals on how a programme of accessibility improvements can be developed and implemented. The project will establish a strategy for the improvements in accessibility at all Rail Halts and IMTAC have been consulted as part of this project and this assessment is expected to be completed in 2024.

Translink’s website has been independently accredited by The Shaw Trust charity achieving 100% compliance with (WCAG 2.1 AA) web accessibility standards. For any passengers who are deaf and require support from Tranlink’s Contact Centre, an online interpreter service is provided via their website, offering both British and Irish Sign Language services via a three-way video conversation between the Contact Centre Agent, the interpreter and customer.

As you aware, my Department also provides grant funding to support the delivery of two transport schemes: (1) the Dial-a-Lift (DAL) Scheme, a rural service delivered by11 Rural Community Transport Partnerships and (2) the Disability Action Transport Scheme (DATS), which operates in 29 urban towns and cities. These services complement wider public transport services and provide accessible public transport options to those who have difficulty accessing public transport. Vehicles used in the delivery of DAL and DATS have been adapted to suit the needs of those with a disability and drivers have also been trained in dealing with those who have a disability. The main user groups of these services are those with a disability or older people.

The Concessionary Fares Scheme provides free travel on public transport services to those who are registered blind or who are in receipt of a regular War Disablement Pension or Guaranteed Income Payment from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. A half fare concession is available to those who are known to their local Health and Social Care Trust as having a learning disability or are partially sighted, those who are in receipt of the mobility element of the Personal Independence Payment or, those who due to medical reasons, have either been refused a licence to drive a motor vehicle or have had an existing licence revoked.