Are Translink up to scratch?

Wednesday 05 November 08

Being a frequent user of Translink, the biggest company in Northern Ireland for travelling all around the Island, are their disabled access up to the standard that they tell us they are?
Today, travelling on one of their trains from the University I study at, back to my home city of Belfast, I witnessed just how lacking their disabled facilities are.
The staff is not full equipped as Translink would lead us to believe. When a young woman and the disabled friend were on the platform travelling from Coleraine Station to the Ballymoney stop, they alerted the conductor of their situation. But as the approached their stop, they began to have difficulties. Sharon Robinson said "I had alerted to a member of staff that we would require a ramp to help my friend on and off the train again. But when we were at my stop, no staff member was available.
The two friends were then made to travel to Ballymena, and then made to wait a further 15 minutes at the station before they could travel back to their correct stop.
The lady's did receive an apology from the member of staff concerned and a train to their correct stop free of charge, but is this a situation that should have happened?
This isn't the only time Translink have made a simple request difficult. When a group of youth who are sight impaired as Translink to send them timetables in Brail, so that the could read them, Translink did not deliver on this either.
In these cases, formal complaints were not made to Translink, but many have become wary of their failing standards.

Rowan Phillips