Driver Gerard McCallion at his Easilink Community Transport Mini Bus in Beragh.JMG11
The future of the dial-a-lift service, which provides transport for elderly and disabled passengers, faced uncertainty amid budget pressures within the Department for Infrastructure.
Said the Foyle MLA: “I’m pleased to finally receive clarity around the future of community transport which will bring huge relief to operators and most importantly, those who rely on this service.
“Over the past few months I’ve met with Easilink, department officials and service users around the importance of securing funding for this vitally important service.
“This is more than just community transport, it connects rural communities, aids in social interaction and plugs gaps in other public services.
“This lifeline allows extremely vulnerable individuals to travel to hospital appointments, do their shopping and socialise. It is a small but invaluable provision which enables people to hold on to their independence.
“After consistent lobbying from myself, advocacy groups and so many others, I’m delighted that the department has seen sense and funded the provision until March 2024.
“While a funding reduction of 5% isn’t ideal, I know that news of the service’s continuation will be welcomed by all those people who have come to rely on it.
“The department’s focus needs to be on future-proofing this service and looking at how community transport could be extended, given the real difficulty that we have around the availability of wheelchair accessible taxis.
“I will continue to push for improvements to ensure that people living with disabilities have fair and equal access to services.”
