In Ireland, people with disabilities, whether visible or non-visible, face various difficulties in accessing public transport. These challenges limit independence and restrict access to essential services like healthcare, education, and employment, undermining the promise of social inclusion.
Accessing transport has always been an issue in Ireland, particularly in rural areas; however, Transport for Ireland (TFI) the public brand for the National Transport Authority (NTA) claim that changes were made while stating 100% accessibility. This blog challenges the claim of full accessibility using academic research and lived experience.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, ratified in 2018), equal access to transport and public facilities is a legal obligation. According to the CSO (2022), 1,109,557 people in Ireland reported having a disability, representing 22% of the population.
Expectations vs. reality
In 2023, the PSO buses carried out over 310.6 million journeys, of which buses accounted for 70%. These buses link towns to rural areas, as well as linking the Irish major cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny. Thus, there is an expectation that persons with visible disabilities will be able to successfully avail of these services without too much difficulty.
There is limited information available on non-PSO services, such as express coaches and shuttles. In addition, the NTA (2024) has stated that because PSO bus and coach fleets may operate across counties and not strictly by depot location, it is unable to provide a breakdown of the total fleet or the number of accessible vehicles by county.
There is an implication that people with hidden disabilities will also be accommodated. The ‘Please Offer Me a Seat’ badge, developed by TFI and Invisible Disability Ireland, aims to make passengers aware of hidden disabilities.
Lived experiences
As a person with a family member who has spastic cerebral palsy (CP), I am aware of the struggles she faces when using public transport. Her disability affects her fine motor skills, such as writing, balance and coordination, which results in an abnormal gait when she walks. Steps are difficult, especially on uneven surfaces. She uses splints, a walker, or a wheelchair for long distances.
Daily tasks, such as going to the shop, are difficult. When I interviewed my family member, Sarah, about daily tasks such as going to a shop, she said, ‘1 km is very long and my legs get tired.’ In contrast, the same journey to a shop down the road would have minimal effect on me.
She uses the ‘Please offer me a seat’ badge, yet certain bus drivers refuse to take the ramp down, as they say it is for wheelchair users only. She is asked to fold the walker herself, carry it in or step up with the walker. Due to her disability, she is unable to lift her walker while walking, as it would cause her to lose balance and fall.
She highlighted the unreliability of the buses, ‘you don’t know which bus you’re going to actually get on, or whether the driver is actually going to put the ramp down.’ She often finds drivers refuse to lower the ramp or park too far from the kerb. However, according to Bus Éireann (2025), “All stops are accessible” on its city and town routes.
Challenges in availing of transport services
Therefore, it is important to teach people how to use public transport safely from a school age, for their own safety as well as for the safety of users with disabilities. McCausland et al. (2020) focused on how intellectual difficulties affect transport usage, particularly for those in community living services. As well as additional changes to the format of travel information, such as the location of the timetable at bus stops, it is essential to aid persons with disabilities from an early age, teaching them transport skills in schools.
McCausland et al. (2020) found that when the transport was staff-supported by those working at the institutions or community care facilities, usage was high.
O’Neill and O’Mahony (2005) separated these types of measures needed to improve transport into two categories. The first category is expense, the cost of the modifications to the Irish transport system. The second category is consideration from the travel operators. Without the consideration of the operators, most adaptations prove redundant.
Bus Éireann (2025) has a number to reserve accessible transport on the PSO commuter buses, and it is necessary to give 24 hours’ notice of intent to travel. While City and Town services are fully wheelchair accessible without booking, the rationale for advance notice on PSO and Expressway services is minimally explained. This requirement carries significant implications: commuters with disabilities must plan every journey a day in advance, remain alert to bus cancellations, and contend with restrictions where certain stops are designated as non-accessible on the Expressway website.
In more rural areas, public transport is supplemented by private operators like GoBus Aircoach. These operators are independent and not bound by the same regulations set by the National Transport Authority (NTA). "The NTA is therefore not able to advise the total number of the current bus fleet by county, nor the current number of buses which are accessible to disabled passengers by county."
Furthermore, when using the “plan and book” option on the Bus Éireann site, passengers are redirected to the Expressway portal, emphasising the complexity of navigating accessible travel. This raises questions of equity: why should people with disabilities provide notice when no requirement exists for non-disabled passengers? The support offered is limited, and the wheelchair booking line is only staffed during set hours, creating additional barriers to spontaneous or urgent travel.
Potential Solutions
In line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), there should be public transport education in schools as aforementioned. In addition, schemes such as the Independent Travel Support Scheme are crucial in assisting those with disabilities on their travel journeys. However, obstructions like construction lead to many people being left behind or stranded.
While disability awareness training is already part of NTA policy for all public transport staff, the persistence of negative attitudes from drivers indicates that the current training is either insufficient or not being implemented effectively. If disability awareness were effectively implemented, it
To issue a complaint, a transport user may use phone support, an online contact form or reach out through TFI on Twitter @TFIupdates. They aim to respond within 24 hours with any updates on the investigation of the issue. A complaint may also be made to the IHREC if the individual feels discriminated against based on disability.
In addition, the Way Finding Centre (2023) opened a learning centre at the start of 2024, which features multiple forms of transportation and staff, but is a controlled environment. The centre collaborates with second-level and third-level education to provide direct teaching from an early age. Efforts such as this are imperative to travel literacy; however, the actual accessibility of these modes of transport in real life is a separate issue.
Call to Action
To enact change beyond the policies, “social planners and local government” need to assess their own infrastructure accessibility (Gallagher et al., 2011). Accessible local links will directly impact the reliance of individuals with disabilities on family and friends. It would improve independence. Once the public transport system in Ireland is truly accessible, we will be conforming to the obligations made under UNCRPD instead of just looking to it with passive ambition.
If we truly seek to be in a democratic and equal society, these measures must be implemented. To allow for changes in the transport services at not just a policy level, but actualised in the lived experience.
Three key elements of how we improve transport need to be addressed. Firstly, providing educational services to guide individuals using transport. Every individual is different, including disabled people. Certain tasks can be challenging for one person, but not for another. Some of those challenges while accessing transport may include reading the time may be difficult, understanding bus routes, and knowing which bus to get on.
Secondly, having those forms of transport physically open for people to access. For example, the step between the path and the bus is balanced when on public transport, stepping on without holding something, and having clear markings for people with visual impairments.
Thirdly, it is by means of having the transport be dependable. Many of the buses may arrive late, causing added stress and anxiety, particularly to those with intellectual disabilities. Even tools such as the TFI app may cause detriment if unfamiliar.
Aids, Supports and Resources
There are a number of resources identified below which may be of use:
- Citizens Information: Travelling on public transport with a disability or reduced mobility. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/public-transport/travelling-publictransport-with-disability/
- Disability Federation of Ireland: Work for a more inclusive Ireland where people with disabilities are participating fully in society. https://www.disability-federation.ie/our-work/overview.html
- Disabled Women Ireland: Offers a Policy and Advocacy for issues affecting their members. https://www.disabledwomenireland.org/our-projects-2
- Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission: Protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland. https://www.ihrec.ie/
- Irish Wheelchair Association: Offers support and advice for wheelchair users. https://www.iwa.ie/help-and-advice/
- TFI Accessible Travel Information: Outlines accessibility support https://www.transportforireland.ie/accessibility/.
References
- About - The Wayfinding Centre. (2023, April 21). The Wayfinding Centre - Empowering People and Possibility through Experience, Mobility and Transportation. https://thewayfindingcentre.ie/about/
- Australian Human Rights Commission. (2008). United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD). Australian Human Rights Commission. https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/united-nations-convention-rights-persons-disabilities-uncrpd
- Census of Population 2022 Profile 4 - Disability, Health, and Carers - CSO - Central Statistics Office. (n.d.). Www.cso.ie. https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/population/censusofpopulation2022/censusofpopulation2022profile4-disabilityhealthandcarers/
- ie. (n.d.). Travelling on public transport with a disability or reduced mobility. Www.citizensinformation.ie. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel-and-recreation/public-transport/travelling-publictransport-with-disability/
- Gallagher, B. A., Hart, P. M., O'Brien, C., Stevenson, M. R., & Jackson, A. J. (2011). Mobility and access to transport issues as experienced by people with vision impairment living in urban and rural Ireland. Disability and rehabilitation, 33(12), 979-988
- Journey Search (2024). Expressway.ie. https://www.expressway.ie/journey-search
- McCausland, D., Stancliffe, R. J., McCallion, P., & McCarron, M. (2020). Longitudinal use and factors associated with public transport and other travel options for older people with an intellectual disability in Ireland. Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities, 33(3), 442-456
- Network maps. (2024, August 6). Transport for Ireland. https://www.transportforireland.ie/plan-a-journey/network-maps/
- O'Neill, Y., & O'Mahony, M. (2005). Travel behaviour and transportation needs of people with disabilities: Case study of some categories of disability in Dublin, Ireland. Transportation research record, 1924(1), 1-8.
- This factsheet looks at the number of people with a disability in Ireland and some of their characteristics. (n.d.). https://nda.ie/uploads/publications/NDA-Disability-Statistics-Factsheet-Accessible-Design.pdf
- (n.d.). National Disability Authority. https://nda.ie/transport
- Wheelchair Accessible Routes. (2024). Buseireann.ie. https://www.buseireann.ie/wheelchair-accessible-routes
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