Northern Ireland: Rural Public Transport (Hansard, 1 July 2003)

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn

We are assisting Ulsterbus under the Northern Ireland rural transport fund to introduce and operate new bus services in rural areas, which are economically unviable. The fund currently supports 53 Ulsterbus routes, which provide 1,158 additional services each week to people in rural areas. Of these routes 21 have been introduced since April 2002. The fund also supports the operations of 16 rural community transport partnerships, which provides door-to-door and group hire services using accessible mini-buses. Most of rural Northern Ireland is now covered by partnerships and we are working to extend coverage to those areas currently without such services. The resources available to the fund are due to increase to £4.1 million in 2005–06 from the current level of £1.8 million.

Public transport in rural areas will also benefit from measures being taken to improve services in Northern Ireland generally. Grant aid of £46 million over the next three years to assist Translink to purchase new buses will enable the company to introduce more new low-floor buses on rural routes. We have also initiated a pilot scheme to tender for the supply of new bus services outside the Belfast area to be supported by bus route subsidies.

The regional transportation strategy (RTS) 2002–12 identifies a range of possible measures to improve public transport in rural areas, including new flexible demand-responsive services. The RTS is being implemented throught three transport plans. The sub-regional transport plan will consider the appropriate mix of different types of public transport services needed in different locations. We are committed to the development of an accessible transport strategy by December 2004. That strategy will help inform the emerging transport plans and assist targeting of resources to promote social inclusion and target social need in rural areas.