Staff

Background

The working group’s function is to address yet another barrier to the alleviation of disadvantage and social exclusion in County Sligo as a result of the lack of a comprehensive and co-ordinated local transport service which is accessible and affordable.

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Identification of Need:

A Transport Audit was completed in 1998, which focussed on the transport needs of different sectoral groups in the most isolated rural areas in the County.

A summary of the main findings of this report, which was included in the application process to the department of transport, indicated the following issues, which needed to be addressed in the context of the development of Rural Transport Infrastructure in County Sligo -

• No regular service
• Many services are scheduled at inconvenient times
• No provision at all in some areas and very limited in other areas.
• No lunchtime, evening or night-time provision in many areas.
• Difficult to get to transport route.
• Service does not go to specific areas- difficult for people, particularly the elderly to walk from drop-off point i.e. the service travels only on main through routes.
• Community needs are not served.
• The cost of Private Transport beyond the means of most older people., Availability of family vehicles – not at convenient time – after work etc.
• Many private operators unable to cater for people with disabilities / poor mobility.
• Over booking, substandard transport.
• Free travel passes not acceptable by private operators.

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The Demographic Profile of Sligo

The demographic profile of Sligo points to an ageing population overall. In the West Sligo Area the older age dependent population was over 40% in the 1996 census period.

The public transport infrastructure in Sligo as in other rural areas of Sligo travel on ‘main roads’ rendering the services completely inaccessible to large sections of the communities living in these areas.

It was also very apparent from the audit and in subsequent discussion at working group meetings that the transport needs of special needs groups in Sligo were not being met or were unable to be met due to vehicular inaccessibility and the need for the provision of care assistance on board. The working group concluded that there are very limited services available to meet the social and recreational needs of persons with a physical or learning disability and where transport provision was in place it was based on a medical model.

A key area of learning for the working group was the need to develop an appropriate rural transport model to meet the needs of those groups and individuals whom for whatever reason are the most marginalised in society and identified as a target group by the Rural Transport Working Group. The transport needs of the following categories of people are of particular importance in the development of A Rural Transport Initiative; -

Isolated Rural Dwellers and Low Income Smallholders, Socially excluded Women, Older People and their carers, Lone Parents, People with Disabilities and their Carers, Disadvantaged Communities.

Access to transport provision which facilitates participation is a critical issue in addressing and responding to the needs of those groups most excluded in County Sligo . The development the Rural Transport Initiative, which facilitates an opportunity for participation, is also of particular benefit to the Partnership accessing and supporting the target groups identified.

Formation of the Project Proposal:

The Rural Transport Working Group decided that The Transport Project Proposal developed would contain the following key features

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Key Features of Rural Transport Services

• Community Based – based on principle of subsidiarity – designed and developed in response to needs identified locally.
• All ability access – Social Model – Care Assistance – all services are 100% all ability accessible. Care assistance provided on Bus.
• House to House – because of the sheer distance from any main access route - passengers are picked up and dropped off at their homes. Passengers can use their free travel pass from the front door.
• Diversity of services – designed to meet the needs of specific sectoral groups – range of services have been designed to meet the needs of all members of the community – e.g. National School Children, Youth Groups, Farmers, People with physical and intellectual disabilities.

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Funding

An application for funding to the Department of Transport under the Rural Transport Initiative was successful with funding of €80,000.00 secured to Develop and Deliver a Pilot Rural Transport Initiative in County Sligo in 2003. An allocation of €8,600 was also received as a contribution from the D.S.F.A. Free Travel Pass Scheme.

Total funding of €76,000 was received from the Department of Transport in 2004 with a further contribution of €23,826 from the D.S.F.A. Free Travel Pass Scheme.

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Forming Policy

The Rural Transport Initiative was introduced by the Department in response to the growing level of community interest and involvement in finding local solutions to transport difficulties in Rural Ireland. The lessons emerging from the two-year initiative to inform the development of the national rural passenger transport policy.

The Working Group decided to develop the pilot initiative in the West Sligo Area in the first instance as this area displayed some of the highest levels of disadvantage in County Sligo – Social Inclusion Programme 2000-2006. An aged dependent population of 42% and the topographical profile of the landscape with large areas with no transport infrastructure and sparsely populated.

The West Sligo Rural Transport Working Group recognising that lack of access to adequate transport provision is one of the main causes of rural isolation and social exclusion decided to put in place a household pick up service which is bookable in advance and which is all ability accessible the aims and objectives of which are informed by principles of equity and fairness.

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Objectives:

• To put in place a demand responsive house to house pick up minibus service.  
• To provide all ability accessible transport  
• To use a local development approach in the design of transport routes based on local need.  
• To develop service’s which meet the transport needs of passengers with physical and intellectual disabilities.
• To promote the transport services in a manner, which is accessible and understandable to all passengers.
• To inform rural public passenger transport policy

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The West Sligo Rural Transport Working Group

The West Sligo Rural Transport Initiative is a community based project. The working group has worked very hard at developing a partnership response by encouraging the community, statutory and transport sectors locally to come together in order to develop transport solutions based on local need.

Membership of the working group has grown and changed and now reflects not only the strategic linkages between the key agencies but also the broader community needs focus which has been a hallmark of the successful management and implementation of the Rural Transport Initiative to date.

There are presently 19 members represented on the Working Group with membership open to all members of the community.

Membership of the Working Group.

Strategy

The Office of Community and Enterprise – supported through consultation the development of the original strategy document. The County Development Board Strategy, highlighted a number of issues to be addressed including transport and in this context – rural transport.

It identifies the contribution of the Rural Transport Initiative to the amelioration of transport problems in the rural areas of County Sligo .

The strategic document acknowledges the role that the RTI is making to the provision of a sustainable rural public passenger transport service –

In an attempt to compensate for inadequacies in public transport, private minibus have developed in some rural areas. The degree to which these could be assisted and promoted in more remote rural areas requires investment and its development is essential in order to facilitate access to services and thereby curb rural de-population. Overall, public transport in rural areas requires investment and its development is essential in order to facilitate access to services the thereby curb depopulation. The NDP ( 2000-2006) provides IR£3.5 million towards Rural Transport Initiatives in an attempt to improve community based transport provision in rural areas. “

In the context of Strategic Actions the Strategy identifies the following under Transport Infrastructure and recognises the contribution that the County Development Board can make to this process.

Develop a comprehensive Rural Transport System by building on the Rural Transport Audit and sourcing appropriate funding for pilot

Page 11 – Chapter2.0 Section 2.3.6. Analysis of the present economic, social and cultural situation in County Sligo .

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