Transport Policy Statement

Northern Ireland is over-dependent on the motor car and this is one of the major failures in public policy development of the last forty years. Public transport facilities are woefully inadequate and the impact falls disproportionately on people with low incomes or restricted mobility. Poor, or in many places no, public transport is a major contributor to social exclusion and isolation. The voluntary and community sector supports the Regional Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland as it affects local communities and is excited by the prospects for rural transport services being delivered by community transport operators. However, we are concerned that the overall balance of proposed investment continues to favour private means of transport at the expense of public provision, which makes a greater contribution to social inclusion and cohesion in both rural and urban areas. It is also important that all transport policy be considered in relation to social inclusion, community cohesion, child welfare and environmental damage.

Community transport can play a significant part in tackling the imbalance between public and private transport – an imbalance that is environmentally unsustainable. Community transport currently involves large numbers of volunteers in the provision of services including:

• Delivering meals to the housebound.
• Escorting patients to clinics and hospitals.
• Transporting children and young people to activities and events.
• Enabling people with disabilities to secure access to everyday services.
• Providing those living in isolation with access to social, leisure, shopping, health, visiting and other services.

Political parties and the Assembly should commit to:

• Giving priority to investment in public transport across the region to redress the imbalance over the long term and reverse the current unsustainable position, which is economically, socially and environmentally detrimental. Government should give the lead as public sector employer and develop travel plans for its employees including provision of facilities for cyclists.
• Reducing the ever-growing dependence on cars through greater than planned investment in sustainable and healthier alternatives such as safe routes to school, cycling and walking.
• Introduce a monthly public transport travel ticket paid for by the employer and recovered from employee salaries before income tax is deducted.
• Putting in place a new ambitious target which ensures that 80% of all households in Northern Ireland live within ten minutes of a public transport stop.
• Putting in place a North/South policy on public transport investment.
• Continuing and expanding the Rural Transport Fund and removing the barriers to a flexible and responsive ‘door to door’ service to people living in sparsely populated areas.
• Extending the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) to a range of community groups with Small Bus Permits in line with England, Scotland and Wales.
• Extending the concessionary fares scheme to allow disabled people who cannot access existing public transport to use their concessionary fare for accessible community transport or taxis. This would also benefit those in rural areas who have very limited access to public transport.