Antwerp (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Deputy Kathleen Helsen reported a 43% rise in demand for Antwerp’s adapted transport services. The budget increased to €600,000, allowing users like Nicola Deghaye’s son 16 monthly trips.
Deputy Kathleen Helsen, who oversees the Mobility Centre for Adapted Transport in Antwerp, pointed out a big increase in the need for adapted transport services. From 2019 to 2023, the use of these services went up by 43%. This shows that more people are looking for transportation options that meet the needs of those with special mobility requirements.
What changes were made to Antwerp’s adapted transport services in 2023?
It has been said that the MAV is really important for helping people who need special transport to get around. More people are using these services now because they understand how important they are, and the services have gotten better. But even though more people want to use them, the budget didn’t increase, which meant users faced limits on trips and distance. To solve this, they asked the Flanders government for more money, and they got it. With this extra funding, they can allow more trips, improve the quality, reduce limits, and make the experience better for everyone.
This year, the budget for the service is going up from €495,000 to €600,000, which will help make things better. Wheelchair users can now ask for 16 trips a month instead of just 10, and the distance they can travel has increased from 50 kilometers to 100 kilometers. This gives them more choices and makes it easier to get around. Nicola Deghaye, whose son Daniel needs adapted transport, said that having 16 rides really helps their family. It means they can go out more without worrying about running out of rides, making it easier to handle daily tasks and enjoy time together. She mentioned that these changes are great for families who need this kind of transport.
Nicola Deghaye moved to Antwerp from South Africa a few years ago and has been going to the Mobility Centre for two years. She says her son Daniel needs special transport to get to school, and having 10 trips was really the minimum they needed. Now that it’s been increased to 16 trips, it makes a big difference for them. She also finds it much easier to organize the transport from one place, which saves her time to care for her son.
