A commitment by the Independent Alliance to appoint at least one director on all public transport boards with personal experience of the difficulties faced by people with disabilities using public transport is now in the process of being delivered.
At the request of Transport Minister Shane Ross, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) will launch the application process for these posts for the boards of The National Transport Authority, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus.
The current provisions for people with disabilities on our transport services is totally inadequate and it is only by having a voice at the boardroom table that things are going to change, so this change is welcome and will, in the longer term, result in real and lasting changes for people with disabilities using our transport services.
Disabled people who regularly use public transport are only too aware of the difficulties faced and the small changes that can make a big difference to their lives. They are the best placed persons to understand the difficulties faced and to make the necessary changes.
A director for each of the four boards has been advertised, with a vacancy on the CIE board to be advertised shortly. Preferably these new directors will have experience in relation to transport, industrial, commercial, financial, land use planning or environment matters and will show evidence of meeting the desirable requirements of professional experience at a senior management level.