Minister hopes mobility scooter-friendly bus routes will be open 'by the end of the year'

Work being finalised after project to install Kassel Kerbs

The infrastructure minister says her department is working to create three new mobility-scooter friendly bus routes and she hopes they'll be ready to be used by the end of the year.

It follows work to install Kassel Kerbs, which allow step-free access onto buses, at 30 stops around the Island.

Currently, users of class 2 mobility scooters can apply for the right to use one service - route 21 - which operates from the city centre to the outskirts of the capital.

On Mannin Line last month, Ramsey resident Eric Corkish, who has been campaigning to be able to take his scooter onto the Island's public transport network for the past six years, questioned Minister Michelle Haywood about when details of other routes will be made available - to which she replied 'in a couple of weeks or so'.

However, since then, Mr Corkish says he's been left questioning if he'd ever be able to get onboard after the minister told him she didn't have a specific date from which access would be permitted:

The routes currently being evaluated include Douglas to Ramsey, Douglas to Peel and Douglas to the south.

Minister Michelle Haywood told Manx Radio that the routes will be made available in the not-too-distant future:

You can listen to the full interview with Minister Haywood via Newscast below: