A Summer on the Move: 3,133 Trips Across Our Community

Sep 4

3 min read

As summer draws to a close, we are looking back on the journeys completed by Newry and Mourne Community Transport throughout June, July and August.

Across these three busy months, we delivered an incredible 3,133 trips across all of our services:

2,245 Dial-A-Lift trips
468 Disability Action Transport Scheme (DATS) trips
332 Group Hire trips
88 trips to hospital appointments outside our operational area

While these figures give us plenty to celebrate, every number represents a real person, an important journey and a meaningful connection with the wider community.

Every Trip Matters

For many of our passengers, a lack of suitable transport can make it difficult to leave home. This may be due to limited public transport in their area, mobility difficulties or not having access to a car. That is why every trip we provide is important.

A journey could mean helping someone travel into town for their weekly shop, visit a café to meet friends or attend a community activity. It could involve bringing a group to a summer scheme, helping someone get to an important medical appointment or simply making sure a passenger can reach wherever they need to go.

What may appear to be an ordinary journey can provide independence, reduce isolation and help someone remain connected with the people, places and services that matter to them.

Supporting People Across Newry and Mourne

Our Dial-A-Lift service completed 2,245 trips throughout the summer, helping people living in rural communities access everyday services and activities through safe and convenient door-to-door transport.

Our Disability Action Transport Scheme completed another 468 trips, supporting people living in the Newry City area who may find it difficult to use conventional public transport.

We also delivered 332 Group Hire trips, helping voluntary, community and non-profit groups attend summer schemes, activities, events and outings together.

A further 88 journeys helped passengers attend hospital appointments outside our usual operational area. We understand how important it is to have reliable transport when travelling for healthcare, and we are proud to have helped passengers reach these essential appointments.

Together, these services helped thousands of people get out and about safely, comfortably and with confidence throughout the summer.

Delivering Through Funding Uncertainty

These trips were delivered during a period of significant financial uncertainty. At the time of writing, an Executive Budget for 2026/27 has not been agreed at Stormont, making it more difficult for public services and community organisations to plan confidently for the future.

Newry and Mourne Community Transport relies on core funding from the Department for Infrastructure to support the delivery of vital community transport services. The Department’s Rural Transport Fund supports Dial-A-Lift services, while its Transport Programme for People with Disabilities supports services including DATS.

We are delighted to see community transport receiving greater recognition and a welcome spotlight in recent months. The positive impact of these services is clear, particularly for older people, people with disabilities and those experiencing rural or social isolation.

However, reliable and sustainable funding remains essential. Continued support from the Department for Infrastructure allows community transport providers like us to plan ahead, support our teams and keep delivering the journeys on which so many people depend.

A Fantastic Team Effort

Delivering more than 3,000 trips in three months would not have been possible without our brilliant team.

We want to give a huge thank you to our office staff, who work hard behind the scenes to organise bookings, plan schedules and help passengers with their enquiries. We would also like to recognise our fantastic drivers, who deliver each journey safely and provide a friendly, helpful and reassuring service to our passengers.

Every member of our team plays an important part in keeping Newry and Mourne moving, and we are incredibly grateful for their continued dedication.

Looking Ahead to Autumn

We are delighted to have helped so many people throughout the summer, and we are looking forward to continuing delivering trips during the autumn months.

As the days become shorter and the weather gets colder, we will be here to help people get out and about as safely and comfortably as possible. Whether you need to go shopping, attend an appointment, meet friends or take part in a community activity, Newry and Mourne Community Transport is ready to help you make the journey.