A wheelchair user was left out of pocket after he had to cancel flights to the UK as he couldn’t board a Bus Eireann vehicle.
The transport company claimed that despite the bus John Morgan wanted to use to go to the airport being wheelchair accessible, they did not have the infrastructure in place to allow him to board.
Mr Morgan, 58, from Dundalk, Co Louth, was due to Liverpool last month, before travelling on to Wales to visit his uncle. But after Bus Eireann told him it could not accommodate his needs he was forced to take the trip by ferry.
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Mr Morgan said “The annoying thing is the 100X the bus is actually wheelchair accessible but it seems there is not enough space at Dundalk station to get the platform wheelchair users need down to the ground.
“It is annoying and basically Bus Eireann have spent thousands of euro on installing equipment on their fleet but as often as not they can’t use it.
“While the Express buses are wheelchair accessible most stations have not got the 3m x 3m platform to lower the ramp to let the wheelchair user get on.
“Of all the routes on the Express services there are only nine stations in the country with a big enough space to actually let the platform be used.
“Since 2008 the Government has insisted all coaches are wheelchair friendly and I am sure Bus Eireann will say all theirs are but what is the point of making them accessible if they then turn round and say sorry we can’t get you on board, it’s a bit mad.
“As it wasn’t the airlines fault that I had to cancel I won’t get a refund and I understand that, but it wasn’t my fault either. I did try to book a taxi but it was going to cost €150, which defeated the purpose of booking a cheap flight. Anyway all the wheelchair friendly taxis in Dundalk are contracted to the HSE so I couldn’t get one.
“It’s not a nice feeling, and it leaves you feeling very isolated. It is not privileges people with disabilities are looking for, but a right.
“I ended up going by ferry. My sister Ann travelled with me which was nice but sort of took away my independence, Bus Eireann really need to get their act together on this.”
A Bus Eireann spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience. The vehicles on the 100X Dublin to Dundalk Expressway service are accessible coaches.
“However, the station at Dundalk does not yet have an accessible loading bay. Works are planned for the station to make it fully accessible next year.
“All new station facilities are specified to be accessible and we are continually making investments to improve access. Thirteen of our 17 stations nationwide are fully accessible, including Drogheda.
“While we understand these are less direct and convenient means of accessing Dublin Airport, the 100X from Drogheda could be accessed, or from Dundalk by rail and then a bus from Dublin City Centre would arrive at the airport.
“Again, we realise this is not equivalent to accessing the 100X from Dundalk directly, as will be possible from 2023.
“Bus Eireann has not as yet received a complaint or a request for a refund from this customer. We would be glad to deal with them directly.”
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