Cllr Mervyn Jones said: “Day centres provides a vital resource for people who use them and it’s important that travel provision is adequate. Centres play a big role in people’s everyday lives and access to them in terms of travel is vitally important. Cuts in the number of drivers are really affecting the service.
“There are many day centres in Belfast and I am deeply worried that cuts are having very negative impact on cover for drivers in this sector.
“I have talked a transport official at the Belfast Health Trust and they were helpful and are doing their best to ensure the service operates effectively. I believe there’s a need for more cover to be provided to ensure this important travel service can be maintained at all times.
“Some people have had real difficulty in getting to these services in recent times and it’s essential that the cover is there to ensure people can be collected and can access the services provided. It’s deeply concerning that vulnerable people are being impacted upon in this way. I am very worried that if more cuts happen then this travel service will be affected even more severely.”
ENDS