A €16 million contract to deliver 60 new intercity coaches which are not wheelchair-accessible has been withdrawn pending further discussions, according to the National Disability Authority.
Following interventions yesterday by the Minister for Transport and the National Disability Authority (NDA), Bus Éireann confirmed it would examine the possibility of procuring a number of wheelchair-accessible coaches to use on a trial basis.
Bus Éireann had originally planned to spend € 16 million on a new bus fleet but its plans were criticised for failing to facilitate wheelchair users.
Last night a Bus Éireann spokeswoman said the company had been considering the possibility of getting wheelchair-accessible buses and had discussed this with manufacturers. However, there had been an appreciation within the Public Transport User Group that the design solutions proposed to date had been unsuitable from an operational, safety or customer viewpoint.
However, she added, "It is hoped that new prototypes coming on stream may overcome these issues."
Last night's development follows complaints from the NDA that the decision to order buses which are not wheelchair-accessible contravened Sections 26 and 27 of the Disability Act, 2005.
NDA chairwoman Angela Kerins, who earlier expressed her concerns to the department, received confirmation from CIÉ that the company would be withdrawing the €16 million contract pending discussions with the NDA.
"The Department of Transport has always been extremely good in terms of accessibility and this incident was most unusual for them, because they have always been one of the best departments to deal with," she said.
She said the NDA would meet CIÉ chairman John Lynch in the coming days to emphasise the importance of making all public transport accessible as required under the Disability Act.
A department spokeswoman last night confirmed that Transport Minister Martin Cullen contacted CIÉ regarding the commercially operated buses and had expressed the need for the contract to be reviewed.