Disabled Pensioner Stranded For Over Three Hours While Waiting For Wheelchair Accessible Bus In Naas

Wednesday, 15 January 2025 16:26

By Martin Osborne

A technical issue meant a wheelchair accessible bus was not available for a number of hours.

A technical issue on the 139 Naas to Blanchardstown bus route yesterday meant there was no low-floor buses to cater to wheelchair users.

Kfm can confirm that a wheel chair accessible bus was replaced with a bus not suitable for those with mobility issues.

This resulted in a couple aged in their 60s waiting over three and a half hours for a wheelchair friendly bus.

Their daughter Terri O'Reilly said her dad's wheelchair is electric and does not fold.

Her dad is an amputee and Terri said he is not able to avail of a transport service provided on behalf of hospitals as they are generally reserved for cancer patients.

She said her parents were freezing while they waited on the bus and that a suitable one only showed up after 6pm.

Her parents had been waiting since 2.50pm.

She said there was no update on a website operated by JJ Kavanagh to inform locals of delays.

Locals tagged Kildare North TD and Junior Transport Minister James Lawless on social media, who said he would raise the issue with the NTA.

He reached out to Terri and said it is not "acceptable".

Other well-meaning locals also offered to go and collect Terri's parents in their cars but a bus had arrived.

Terri said she is epileptic and does not drive. She said she felt "helpless" and that it is not the first time something like this has happened.

She said it is sometimes "impossible" for her dad to even get a taxi because they need to be wheelchair accessible.

Kfm has reached out to JJ Kavanagh for further comment.

Terri will be on tomorrow morning's Kildare Today show between 9am -11am.

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