Bus Éireann proud to support Just A Minute Cards with Minister Anne Rabbitte at Ceannt Station

  • Bus Éireann is proud to support Just A Minute Cards to assist those who need a little more time to use public transport services
  • Close to 600,000 people in Ireland are living with a disability and 8 in 10 of those disabilities are invisible

From L-R Ciaran Delaney, NOW Group Jam Card Ambassador, Minister Anne Rabbitte, Brian Connolly and Tara O’Flaherty of Iarnrod Eireann

500,000 people living in Ireland have invisible disabilities and Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, is proud to support Just a Minute Cards to assist customers who need a little extra time when using our bus services in Galway and nationwide. 

The JAM Card allows people with a learning difficulty, autism, or any condition where communication can be a barrier to show their JAM Card to the driver or a staff member and relay that they may need a little extra time or ‘Just A Minute’ when accessing services.

Anne Rabbitte TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, said: “I am delighted to see Bus Éireann embracing the JAM card initiative. This one simple change can have a major positive impact on people with disabilities and break down barriers when it comes to accessing transport. I thank Bus Éireann for ensuring their services are as accessible as possible and for their support of the JAM Card.”

From L-R Minister Anne Rabbitte, Brian Connolly and driver Derek Keenan

Brian Connolly, Regional Operations Manager, West, Bus Éireann, said: “We are very pleased to support the JAM Card on our Galway services which reminds us that quite often, disabilities and communication barriers are invisible. Our 240 customer-facing employees in Galway are trained to recognise the JAM Card and to discreetly ensure that customers can have the extra time they need when using our services.

“We recognise the importance of accessible services in the lives of people with disabilities. We operate a fully accessible fleet in all our city and town services, with the support of the National Transport Authority and also operate School Transport Services on behalf of the Department of Education for over 9,000 pupils in Galway, including children with Special Educational Needs.”

Ciarán Delaney, NOW Group Ambassador said: “When I first came across the JAM card in 2018, I could not believe how simple the concept was. I am proud to be responsible for bringing it to Bus Éireann in tandem with Maeve Monaghan and Diane Hill from the NOW Group.  People with Invisible Disabilities can use the JAM card to discretely inform drivers and other Bus Éireann staff that they come in contact with, that they may need an extra minute to get their business done. I am grateful to those members of Bus Éireann staff that interact in a respectful manner with JAM card users to ensure accessibility to Bus Éireann services for people with invisible disabilities.”

JAM Cards are available for free and for more information, please visit https://jamcard.org/#. JAM Cards are recognised on all Bus Éireann services and in all Bus Éireann bus stations.

Wednesday, 15th December, 2021