6 OCTOBER 2008:
RURAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM 30 NEW MINIBUSES: At the launch of the new minibuses in Stormont are (l-r) Kellie Armstrong, Acting CTA NI Director, Albert McMullan, Sales Director NI Trucks, Michelle Rafferty, Rural Transport Development Manager Translink, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Michelle Gildernew, Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy, Robert McMullan, Director Nu-Track and Lynsey Fee, Rural Transport Development Co-ordinator Translink.
Transport Minister Conor Murphy today handed over the keys of 30 fully accessible minibuses to representatives from the Rural Community Transport Partnerships.
The minibuses, which were procured by Translink for the Department at a cost of £1.3m, will be used by the Partnerships to provide specialised transport services in rural areas throughout the North.
At the event which took place at Parliament Buildings, the Minister said :
“I am delighted to hand over theses vehicles and hope that this clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing better access to training, job opportunities and recreation to those people in our rural communities.
“I believe that providing support to our Rural Partnerships helps to tackle the factors that all too often lead to social exclusion. This support should ensure the continuation of high quality transport services in rural areas.”
Michelle Gildernew, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development who was also at the event said “I am very keen to promote and increase any initiative which makes life easier for rural people and welcome this investment today which provides much needed transport services to people with reduced mobility living in rural areas across the north. The services offered by Rural Community Transport Partnerships positively contributes to the reduction in social exclusion for our rural dwellers .”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The Rural Transport fund (RTF) has a prime objective to reduce social exclusion by improving/providing transport opportunities for people with reduced mobility in rural areas.
In 2007 the 17 Rural Community Transport Partnerships provided in excess of 500,000 passenger trips across the North
The new fleet of minibuses replaces the existing fleet which are over 8 years old and had reached the end of their useful life-span
The full list of recipients of the minibuses is as follows:-
Accessible Community Travel Services (ACTS) – based in Newcastle (1x minibus)
Armagh Rural Transport (ART) – based in Armagh (1 x minibus)
Causeway Area Rural Transport (CART) – based in Coleraine (2 x minibuses)
Cookstown Rural Community Transport (CRCT) – based in Cookstown (1 x minibus)
Down Armagh Rural Transport (DART) – based in Lurgan (2 x minbuses)
Down Community Transport (DCT) – based in Downpatrick (2 x minibuses)
Dungannon & District Community Transport (DDCT) –based in Dungannon (1 x minibus)
Easilift – based in Strabane (3 x minibuses)
Fermanagh & South Tyrone Rural Transport (FAST) – based in Irvinestown (3 x minibuses)
Lagan Valley Rural Transport (LVRT) – based in Lisburn (2 x minibuses)
Newry & Mourne Community Transport (NMCT) –based in Newry (2 x minibuses)
North Antrim Community Transport (NACT) –based in Ballycastle (2 x minibuses)
Out & About Community Transport –based in Magherafelt (1 x minibus)
Peninsula Community Transport (PACT) –based in Kircubbin ( 2 x minbuses)
Roe Valley Community Transport (RVCT) –based in Limavady (2 x minibuses)
Rural Lift for SW Fermanagh – based in Enniskillen (2 x minibuses)
Rural Link – based in Carrickmore (1 x minibus)
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