The National transport Authority is adding 40 new wheelchair accessible buses to rural routes around the country after the issue was highlighted by Newstalk’s Take Home a TD campaign.
Disability campaigner Vicky Mathews has been pushing for greater wheelchair accessibility on public transport across rural Ireland in recent month.
The Donegal resident has launched a petition calling for routes to be updated and is due to hand it to TDs at Leinster House next week.
As part of Newstalk’s Take Home a TD campaign, she met with Sinn Féin TD for the North West Martin Kenny to outline her concerns.
On air now: The first of our Take Home a TD reports featured Vicky Matthews and @Martin_Kenny #TakeHomeaTDNT Listen live: https://t.co/7LpgL7pYBS pic.twitter.com/Prqc00lTEl
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) April 1, 2019
She told him she aims to attend college in Sligo in September – but would be prevented from starting the next chapter in her life if Bus Éireann cannot provide a wheelchair-accessible bus from Ballyshannon.
Asked by Newstalk’s Barry Whyte if she expected to be able to take the bus college in September, Ms Mathews replied: “No, but I am not going down without a fight.”
Following the broadcast, the National Transport Authority (NTA) contacted Ms Mathews to confirm that Bus Éireann is to be provided with 40 new wheelchair accessible buses – the first of which will be allocated to the Donegal - Sligo route.
NEWS JUST IN!! Massive congratulations to Vicky on an incredible campaign. Wheelchair accessible bus will be available on the 480 route between IT Sligo and Donegal from August! #equality pic.twitter.com/5tDNi5JIce
— ATU Sligo (@atusligo_ie) April 3, 2019
The buses are due to be delivered by August. The NTA said Bus Éireann is also working on a ‘number of accessibility projects nationwide.’
This morning, Ms Phelan said she was “so excited and so happy” with the news.
“This means that me personally, I am going to be able to go to college,” she said.
“But it doesn’t stop here. The petition is for wheelchair-accessible public buses on all routes nationwide so next week, I will be going up to the Dáil to hand this to the Minister for Transport.”
Accessibility
She thanked everybody who has been involved with her campaign and signed or shared her petition.
She said the campaign helped her raise her voice to “be heard that wheelchair accessible buses are a basic human right.”
“I am grateful,” she said. “Today is a big step forward for people with disabilities getting the services they need.”
“Please keep signing and sharing the petition. I will keep campaigning until every wheelchair user in the country is able to access public buses but today is a victory.
“Thank you everybody.”
