Appendix 8
Summary of Sectoral Plan Targets

Make all urban buses accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

1. Only purchase low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses that have on-board features to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.
2. Introduce accessible buses on a route-by-route basis to maximise the effectiveness of these vehicles for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Private Operators

1. Currently over 50% of the Bus Átha Cliath fleet is composed of low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses and in excess of 50 routes are now served by such buses. BAC envisages that its entire fleet will be composed of such buses by 2012 and the company will continue to introduce new accessible buses on a route-by-route basis as agreed with the Public Transport Accessibility Committee.
2. Practically 100% of Bus Éireann's fleet in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford is composed of low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses. The company will continue to purchase only accessible buses as the fleet is replaced and expanded over time.
3. In other urban areas currently served with smaller buses that are not wheelchair accessible, Bus Éireann's policy is to replace those vehicles with wheelchair accessible buses. It is envisaged that this process will be completed by 2012.
4. It is envisaged that any licensed scheduled bus services run by private operators in the main urban areas will be provided by low-floor, wheelchair accessible buses by 2012.

Bring all bus stops up to accessibility standard.

Install wheelchair accessible Hard Stands together with Kassell Kerbing as well as Shelters with seating and good lighting. Ensure that the bus shelter and bus stop pole incorporate appropriate colour contrasts and are orientated to facilitate deployment of ramps and movement of wheelchairs.

Local Authorities, An Garda Siochána, Bus Operators, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the National Roads Authority and the Department of Transport.

1. Some 750 bus stops have already been upgraded in the Greater Dublin Area and work in that regard is on-going. Bus stops are being upgraded systematically on routes that form part of the Quality Bus Corridor (QBC) Programme. Bus stops are also being upgraded in the provincial cities in conjunction with the construction of QBCs/Green Routes.
2. The Department of Transport will continue its policy of funding accessibility upgrades to bus stops in the Greater Dublin Area and on QBCs/Green Routes in all the provincial cities as well as at appropriate stops on all National Roads and will explore ways in which to accelerate the provision of upgraded bus stops. The objective is to double the length of the QBC network in the Greater Dublin Area by end 2009.
3. The Department of Transport has already met with officials of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with a view to ensuring co-ordination of upgrading by local authorities of bus stops on roads where wheelchair accessible buses are in service or are being phased in.

Replace inaccessible coaches with coaches that are accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Only purchase wheelchair accessible coaches that have on-board features to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Bus Éireann and Private Operators

This Plan envisages that the entire scheduled service coach fleet in Ireland will have been replaced by wheelchair accessible coaches by 2015.

Make all bus stations accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

1. Retro-fit existing bus stations or completely rebuild them.
2. Ensure that accessibility for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments is a core feature in the design and construction of new bus stations.

Bus Éireann

1. With the exception of those in Limerick and Galway it is envisaged that all of Bus Éireann's bus stations will have been brought up to accessibility standards by end 2007.
2. Preparatory work on a major joint bus/rail station development in Limerick is well advanced and completion is expected by 2008.
3. Galway will also will entail a combined bus/rail station development. However, it will also form part of a wider re-development project in Galway City. A date for completion is currently not available.

Ensure that access to bus stops and disabled parking bays is not obstructed by illegal parking.

1. Substantially increase fixed charge fines for such offences.
2. Better enforcement.

1. The Department of Transport.
2. An Garda Siochána and Local Authority Traffic Wardens.

1. Effective from 3 April 2006, the Minister of Transport has increased the following fixed charge fines:
   1. Illegally parking a vehicle other than a bus at a bus stop - €40 (was €19).
   2. Illegally parking a vehicle in a disabled person's parking bay - €80 (was €19).
2. The Department of Transport will liaise with An Garda Siochána and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and local Government concerning improved enforcement.

Make all suburban trains accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Only purchase wheelchair accessible trains that have on-board features to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Iarnród Éireann

Apart from the refurbishment work to some older DART (electric) carriages to be completed in 2007, all DART carriages on the Dublin suburban rail network are already accessible. The diesel railcars on suburban rail serving Dublin and Cork are already accessible.

Make all Inter-City passenger trains accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Only purchase wheelchair accessible trains that have on-board features to assist people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann is in the process of replacing the vast bulk of its Inter-City passenger rolling stock. All of this new rolling stock is being specified to the UK Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations. Practically all inter-urban passenger rail services will be provided with this rolling stock by 2009.

Make all railway stations accessible to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

1. Ensure that all new railway stations are designed and constructed in accordance with accessibility standards/best international practice.
2. Retro-fit existing stations in accordance with accessibility standards/best international practice.

Iarnród Éireann

1. Since 2000, all new railway stations have been designed and constructed in accordance with accessibility standards/best international practice.
2. An accessibility refurbishment programme to make the existing railway stations accessible is underway on a railway line by railway line basis. Physical work on the Dublin-Cork line is about to begin while design work for stations on the Dublin-Dundalk and Dublin Galway lines will be undertaken in 2006. Given the nature of many of our railway stations, this will require a significant amount of work. It is anticipated that this programme will be completed before 2015. Practically all stations on the Dublin suburban DART line have already been upgraded.

Dublin's light rail service, LUAS, is an accessible service and has been designed from the outset to be so.

The Railway Procurement Agency and Veolia Transport.

While the existing service is already accessible, developments in technology and best international practice are being monitored with a view to improving the Luas system. Accessibility will be a core design feature of any extensions to the system.

Ensure that accessibility for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments is a core design feature of the system.

1. From the outset, incorporate the most up-to-date accessibility provisions.
2. Liaise with representatives of disability organisations in designing the system.

Railway Procurement Agency, Department of Transport, Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and the Public Transport Accessibility Committee.

Transport 21 envisages that:-

1. METRO North (St. Stephens Green via Dublin Airport to Swords) will be completed by 2012.
2. METRO West (linking Tallaght Luas and METRO North) will be completed by 2014.

Accessibility for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments must continue to be a core design feature of the RTI post 2006.

Ensure that one of the principal criteria for the assessment of funding applications under the RTI is the degree to which transport accessibility for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments is to be addressed.

Department of Transport, Pobal, Public Transport Partnership Forum Subgroup on Rural Public Transport & the Public Transport Needs of Older People and the Public Transport Accessibility Committee.

Criteria to be set by end 2006 following a wide public consultation process.

Improve the accessibility of taxis and hackneys for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Ensure that there is adequate provision of taxi and hackney services that are:

1. Accessible,
2. Available, and
3. Affordable.

Commission for Taxi Regulation, Department of Transport, Local Authorities, Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, Department of Finance and the Department of Social & Family Affairs.

1. Dispatch centres will be required to accept bookings in accessible formats such as fax, sms and email from September 2007.
2. The Commission will develop a database of accessible SPSVs. Details including contact details will be made available on the Commission's website and in Braille, large print and audiotape from December 2006.
3. The Commission's offices and communications systems will be accessible and all documents and information will be available in accessible formats from the end of 2006.
4. The Commission will produce a Passengers Guide, a Customer Charter of Rights and Responsibilities and fare information in a range of accessible formats including Braille, large print and audio tape from September 2006.
5. The Commission will put in place a user friendly and accessible complaints system that will be accessible by phone, fax and email from September 2006.
6. The Commission will carry out an audit of taxi ranks and develop best practice guidelines for local authorities to assist in the provision of accessible ranks in 2007. The provision and location of taxi ranks will remain the responsibility of the relevant local authority.
7. Drivers will be required to carry assistance/guide dogs and mobility aids when requested. Additional charges for these will not apply from September 2006.
8. The Commission will publish a consultation paper on vehicle standards in mid-2006 with a view to putting the new standards in place commencing in 2007.
9. The Commission will develop a system to monitor the level and quality of services available to people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments and carry out ongoing access audits on an annual basis from 2007.
10. To address the affordability issue, the Commission, in conjunction with the Department of Transport and the Department of Social & Family Affairs and other stakeholders, will investigate the possibility of putting in place some form of subsidy or assistance on a pilot basis.
11. A new licence category for wheelchair accessible hackneys will be introduced by the Commission early in 2007.

Implementation of the Regulation of the European Council and the European Parliament setting out the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when they travel by air.

Ensure that the Regulation is implemented in Ireland.

Department of Transport

EU Regulation:-

1. Formally adopted on 9 June 2006.
2. Article 3 (Prevention of refusal of carriage) and Article 4 (Derogations, special conditions and information) of the Regulation will come into effect 1 year after adoption.
3. Remainder of the Regulation will come into effect 2 years after adoption.

Review the current accessibility state of maritime passenger transport services and develop action plans to address any deficiencies identified where practicable.

1. Audit existing port facilities.
2. Develop a data base of accessibility levels onboard relevant vessels.
3. Establish a forum (to include representatives of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments) which will
   • Assess existing standards;
   • Identify improvements needed;
   • Prepare remedial action plans as necessary

Department of Transport, port authorities, marine passenger service providers, National Disability Authority and representatives of people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments

1. Each port authority to undertake an independent accessibility audit of the passenger facilities at its port within six months of the Department's Sectoral Plan coming into force.
2. Each port authority to develop an implementation plan for remedial actions within three months of the completion of the accessibility audit of the passenger facilities at its port.
3. A Forum to be established by end 2006 (see disability user group targets below)

Improvements to infrastructure and vehicles must be augmented by appropriate training if public transport services are to become as accessible as possible for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.

Ensure that all providers of public transport services put in place appropriate disability awareness training for both staff and management.

Department of Transport, the Public Transport Accessibility Committee and various providers of public transport services.

1. Disability awareness training already underway in Bus Éireann, Bus Átha Cliath, Iarnród Éireann, Railway Procurement Agency and Veolia Transport.
2. Disability awareness training for Department of Transport staff to begin in May 2006.
3. Provision of Disability awareness training for private bus/coach operators of public transport services to be addressed 2006/2007.
4. The Commission for Taxi Regulation will put in place a mandatory Skills Development Programme that will have as a core element disability awareness and training relevant to the provision of a service for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. The training will be mandatory for all new SPSV drivers from 2007 and will be a requirement for all existing SPSV drivers from 2008.

Providers of public transport services should be advised by Disability User Groups in the design and provision of their services.

Ensure that all major providers of public transport services establish a disability user group to advise them and that other providers of public transport services have access to and consult with a mode/service specific disability user group.

Department of Transport, the Public Transport Accessibility Committee and various providers of public transport services.

1. Disability user groups have already been established by Bus Éireann, Bus Átha Cliath, Iarnród Éireann, Railway Procurement Agency / Veolia Transport and by the Dublin Airport Authority.
2. In 2006, the Department of Transport will establish a forum to oversee the implementation and review of the Maritime Passenger Transport section of the Sectoral Plan. Representatives of the Departrment, port authorities, marine passenger service providers, National Disability Authority and people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments will comprise the forum.
3. In 2006, the Commission for Taxi Regulation will establish a small public service vehicles users group which will include people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments.
4. Consideration to be given to the appropriate formats of disability user groups for other private transport operators.