Coaches with no wheelchair access 'incredible', say disabled
Plans by Bus Eireann to spend €16m euro on a fleet of luxury coaches with no wheelchair access were today branded incredible.
People with Disabilities in Ireland, the national body representing the disabled, said the move was totally at odds with Government policy and international norms.
Bus Eireann has placed an order for 60 intercity coaches, due to begin operating in July, but none of them are wheelchair accessible.
Stephen McWhite, PwDI general manager said disabled people were effectively being deprived of using public transport.
“This is an incredible development,” he said.
“The lack of access is one of the primary impediments to people with disabilities playing an equal role in society.
“This decision by Bus Eireann will effectively deprive people with disabilities from enjoying the same travel opportunities as the rest of the community for many years to come.”
The new buses, made by Scania, have been acclaimed for their luxurious design and even scooped the Coach of the Year award in 2004.
It is understood they will be operating between Ireland’s major towns and cities in the next two to three months.
A spokeswoman for Bus Eireann said there was a reluctance in the industry to manufacture coaches which are wheelchair accessible.
But Mr McWhite said the PwDI, through its involvement in the Public Transport Advisory Committee to the Department of Transport, had made it abundantly clear to Bus Eireann and Government officials that wheelchair accessible coaches were the norm around the world.
He said that in New York, 70% of the Coach USA fleet, one of the largest in North America, is wheelchair accessible.
“This decision has been taken at a time when the Department of Transport’s motto is ’Transport For All’ and in an era when the Government says disability is a priority under the national disability strategy,” Mr McWhite said.
“It doesn’t add up. Policy statements are one thing, tangible change for people with disabilities is quite another. Clearly equality of treatment for people with disabilities is still a very long way away.”
