19 October 2007

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most basic pieces of information we publish for passengers is a guide called ‘Travelling with Translink’.  
 
This summarises all details of our network, fares and ticketing, the concession schemes, airport links, contact numbers and everything a person needs to know to start using Translink bus and rail services.  We distribute this as far as possible and it has been very popular and useful.
 
We now publish this guide in Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese.  This follows our promotion of some of the new Ulsterbus services in these languages.  Local reports show that usage of public transport from these ‘new European’ communities is large and growing.
 
This is something we should all be aware of and we should go out of our way to help and welcome our new neighbours on board, particularly when their first language may not be English. Of course this goes for tourists as well.  
 
Large communities of people who have come here from other countries to live and work is a new business reality for us - we must work hard to make them welcome as passengers and in the future as colleagues!

Philip O'Neill,

Acting Chief Executive

Usage of public transport from our 'new European' neighbours is large and growing.