Ballymena hosts Transport Expo

Expo@Ecos was attended by 350 visitors from the North and south of Ireland, including Limerick and Cork and many orders were confirmed and vehicles sold. The transport industry, providing passenger service, employs 6500 people in Northern Ireland, with 2500 of those employed directly part of an estimated 49 million per year contribution to the economy.

Opening Expo@Ecos, Cllr Neil Armstrong said: “This is a first for Ballymena and indeed a first for Northern Ireland, bringing together all the major industry players for what is hoped will be a great success and regular event.”

During the 2 day event, visitors experienced first hand all the latest vehicles, products, emerging technologies and displays by a vast list of exhibitions.

“This really is a major event for Ireland,” said organiser Karen Magill Chief Executive of the Federation of Passenger Transport Northern Ireland (FPTNI). “It provided a platform on which transport businesses could meet international decision makers from a range of operators, suppliers and local authority organisations.

“For us, the event was the perfect opportunity for the industry to come together during these exceptional economic circumstances and look at opportunities to assist each other. This year’s show was all about working together and helping our industry through these challenging times. The event helped lift the mood of manufacturers, suppliers and operators alike and provided assurance that there are better times to look forward to in the year ahead.”

Throughout the two days, key issues facing the industry were addressed by representatives from local government departments including DVA Licensing, Enforcement and DVA Testing. Representatives from GoSkills were also on hand to provide information and support on industry skills and career development.

The Ecos Centre’s dedicated conference theatre housed the information and question and answer sessions hosted by some of the leading experts in the industry.