Emer Gallagher
A free bus service that transports almost 50 elderly people to Ballina on a regular basis is facing an uncertain future.
The bi-weekly service was initially set up as a pilot programme last September by the Ballina Transport for the Elderly Initiative Committee, which represents a number of local organisations. It was set up to empower and give elderly people back some of their independence by enabling them to carry out some day-to-day tasks that they would like to do themselves but simply are not able to do, due to poor access to Ballina.
“In many cases people were paying up to €25 a week on taxis to go into town to collect their pensions and get their shopping,” said Maureen Lacken, Active Age Retirement.
The bodies behind the scheme received €3,000 in funding from the Social Inclusion Programme (SIP) at the outset and undertook various fundraising events to ensure the scheme continued. But now, as the scheme does not fit it into an existing scheme for funding, it is uncertain whether it will receive the necessary finance to continue after September.
Members of the committee, however, are determined to press the issue in a bid to secure the future of what they believe is a vital service.
“The people that use the service really enjoy the outings and they are delighted with their bus driver, Ray Foley,” said Ms Lacken.
“We have spoken to Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Éamon Ó Cuív, and he is asking local politicians to look at ways to get this funding from a sustainable source. We are hoping to get the funding through the Department of Transport and we are hoping it will be a secure, continual funding.
“In rural areas the people are covered under the Rural Transport Initiative, so the people living on the town boundaries are at a great disadvantage.”
The bus service covers areas on the Bonniconlon Road, the Foxford Road, the Sligo Road area and all areas within the urban area of Ballina town. A total of 48 people are now using the bus service, which runs on Tuesdays and Fridays, and numbers are increasing all the time, said Ms Lacken.
Mr James Reddiough, of Age Action West, said they are fully supportive of the scheme and points to its importance for the elderly. Mr Reddiough also outlined that the service could be a model for other towns throughout the country that do not have public transport from outlying town-lands.
The bus service scheme is operated by the Family Resource Centre, Ballina Parish, The Lions Club, St Vincent de Paul, Moy Valley Resources and the Ballina Active Retirement Group.
