By Lesley Walsh
LOCAL people living with disabilities have joined the chorus of calls from across Northern Ireland to receive free public transport, as their counterparts across the rest of the UK and Ireland enjoy.
A group of people with disabilities met at Bangor’s Translink train and bus centre on Thursday, to protest the lack of parity, supported by trade union representatives from NIPSA.
Similar protest events were staged in the following days at Belfast’s Grand Central Station and in Derry.
Comber woman Julieanne Crothers was among those protesting at the local demonstration which is aimed at highlighting what she and her peers have described as a ‘travesty’.
“Disabled people are being deprived of free travel on public transport yet the rest of the UK and Ireland offer free travel. This is a travesty as disabled people are being squeezed from every angle in a cost-of-living crisis.”
As part of the ‘Half Fare Unfair’ campaign, to secure free public transport, campaigners say disabled people’s reliance on others for transportation creates additional challenges and stifles their ability to secure employment, worsening their disadvantage and social isolation.
With Northern Ireland lagging behind in this area, campaigners say ’it’s not just a setback, it’s flatly embarrassing that our region doesn’t offer the same support as our neighbours’.
“It’s essential for the Northern Ireland Assembly to consider the benefits that a free travel policy for those with disabilities could bring with a matter of urgency,” said Julieanne.
“In countries like the UK, travel concessions have proven to be beneficial. According to the Department of Transport, providing free travel can increase the overall employment rate of people with disabilities by up to 30%. This data underscores the importance of such a programme, not just as a matter of accessibility, but also of fairness and economic viability,” the campaigners add.
Julieanne explained that currently some people with certain disabilities pay half the regular fare on buses and trains through the Half Fare SmartPass, highlighting the disparities across the UK and British Isles.
The Department for Infrastructure’s website confirms that the concessionary fares scheme provides free and half fare travel on public transport for several groups of people, including children, senior citizens and ‘some people with disabilities’.
Campaigners are now lobbying the Minister for Infrastructure, Liz Kimmins, to reverse the situation ‘as soon as possible’.
“It is time for Northern Ireland to stand in solidarity with the hardworking people in our disabled community, break barriers and elevate living conditions for everyone,” said Julieanne. “We request the Assembly to make immediate modifications to the Half Fare Smartpass system to incorporate free travel for people with disabilities.”
Patrick Mulholland, deputy director general of NIPSA in Northern Ireland, attended the protest and said the trades union would support the protestors to ’keep fighting until we have a victory’.
“We are no longer going to tolerate a society where a significant part of our population is treated like third class citizens,” he said.
Referring to the union’s 45,000 members, he said ‘we are going to encourage every member to support you in every way possible’.
To sign a petition supporting the campaign, follow the link: https://www.change.org/p/urge-the- ni-assembly-to-allow-free-travel-for-disabled-peopl e-with-half-fare-smartpass/u/34126945
