141 Mr. Cosgrave asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason the feeder bus from Connolly Station to Heuston Station is not wheelchair accessible; if this feeder bus will be made wheelchair friendly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5012/99]
It is and always has been my policy that transport operators, and in particular the State transport companies, should provide the highest possible degree of accessibility within the overall resources available to them. I am committed to bringing about a situation where public transport facilities are fully accessible to all at the earliest possible date.
Bus Átha Cliath currently has six low floor single decker buses in operation in Dublin on the No. 3 route, Belfield to Drumcondra and the company has given a commitment, that, from now on, all single-decker buses due for renewal will be replaced by low-floor equivalents. As evidence of this, the company has recently announced that it plans to purchase a further 20 fully accessible 33 seater midi buses as part of its 1999 fleet replacement programme. Bus Átha Cliath states that the question of providing a wheelchair accessible feeder service between Connolly Station and Heuston Station will be considered in the context of this programme.
142 Mr. Cosgrave asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason mainline train services are not wheelchair accessible; the reason persons using this service must travel in the goods wagon; if all mainline trains will be made accessible to wheelchairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5014/99]
It is and always has been my policy that transport operators, and in particular the State transport companies, should provide the highest possible degree of accessibility within the overall resources available to them. I am committed to bringing about a situation where public transport facilities are fully accessible to all at the earliest possible date.
With regard to Iarnrod Éireann's mainline rail services, the position is that all inter-city trains are now wheelchair accessible.
However, the company does acknowledge that some branch line services, operated by coaches constructed in the 1960s, are not accessible and that on occasion the wheelchair user finds it more convenient to travel in the guard's van than having to be physically transferred to a carriage seat.
I am pleased to report, however, that it is now established policy within Iarnród Éireann that all new trains are fully accessible.
143 Mr. Cosgrave asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason only three buses in Dublin city have wheelchair accessibility; if she will ensure that the 150 new buses coming into service shortly will have wheelchair accessibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5017/99]
It is and always has been my policy that transport operators, and in particular the State transport companies, should provide the highest possible degree of accessibility within the overall resources available to them. I am committed to bringing about a situation where public transport facilities are fully accessible to all at the earliest possible date.
Bus Átha Cliath currently has six low floor single decker buses in operation on the No. 3 route, Belfield to Drumcondra, and the company has given a commitment that, from now on, all single-decker buses due for renewal will be replaced by low-floor equivalents. As evidence of this, the company has recently announced that it plans to purchase a further 20 fully accessible 33 seater midi buses as part of its 1999 fleet replacement programme.
Regarding the additional 150 double decker buses, these are required urgently to meet the traffic congestion problems in Dublin as part of the Government's commitment to implementation of the Dublin Transportation Office Short-term Action Plan. They are of key importance in providing adequate services on the quality bus corridors which are now being developed.
When orders were being placed last year for the additional buses, low floor double decker buses were only beginning to come into operation in the UK. In the circumstances Bus Átha Cliath did not have a sufficient degree of experience with the new designs to justify the placing of such a large order for the purchase of low floor double decker buses.
However, progress is being made. Models which may be suitable have increasingly been brought into service in London in the past few months. Bus Átha Cliath is currently arranging to obtain vehicles from DAF, who are supplying the London buses, and from Volvo and Dennis, with the objective of conducting six month pilot trials. Details of the testing programme are being developed by Bus Átha Cliath. My Department has already discussed the pilot testing proposals with the EU Commission who share our commitment to accelerating the improvement in accessibility to public transport.
These trials are scheduled to take place over the coming months and, depending on the results of the pilot tests, Bus Átha Cliath should be in a position to begin ordering accessible double-decker buses from 2000.
