Carl O'Brien
Disabled people are often "prisoners in their own homes" because of inadequate and inaccessible public transport, according to a report by the National Disability Authority.
The review found that rail infrastructure dating back to the 19th century, inaccessible inter-city buses and a lack of wheelchair-friendly taxis posed major barriers. There is no statutory requirement to ensure services are accessible.
The authority's transport policy adviser, Mr Donie O'Shea, said that while there had been progress in recent years, many disabled people were still unable to do everyday things, such as shopping or going to work, because of inaccessible transport.
"We see it as a key component in the quality of life for people with disabilities...The very things we take for granted are not possible for a large sector of the population because transport is either non-existent or inaccessible."
The report sets out a number of recommendations which promote "transport for all", including increased investment in services, legislation to make accessible transport mandatory and national standards for service providers.
In particular, the report pointed to the need for a single travel information source which would give information on travel routes, times and whether they were wheelchair accessible.
It also called on the Government and other bodies to do more than simply replace existing rolling stock or vehicles, and said the needs of disabled people should be considered at the design stage of transport infrastructure.
The NDA's report comes just weeks before the long-awaited Disability Bill is due to be published which will include Government action plans on improving services across areas such as health, education, employment and transport.
The NDA's chairwoman, Ms Angela Kerins, said the Government must give a firm commitment to continue investing in accessible transport infrastructure and establish a single travel information source for people with disabilities
She said there had been welcome improvements in a range of areas. Bus Éireann's entire urban fleet was wheelchair-accessible, while 40 per cent of Dublin Bus vehicles had low floors. The DART will also be fully accessible by 2005, as will the Luas.
However, she said it would be some years before accessible long-distance coaches would be introduced and that rail transport infrastructure required substantial investment before it became wheelchair-friendly.
Mr Donal Toolan, of the Forum on People with Disabilities, welcomed the report but said targets such as single information sources were 10 years out of date compared to other EU states.
The review also found there were difficulties assessing local transport services around the country, apart from CIÉ and some private operators, because of a lack of information.