Plan to extend some Belfast bus lane times postponed

Plans to extend bus lane times in parts of Belfast have been postponed.

Bus lane operating hours were increased last year in south Belfast, which Stormont's infrastructure minister said has improved service punctuality and passenger numbers.

But Liz Kimmins has pushed back similar changes in the north of the city after receiving "a number of objections".

Some politicians and businesses have welcomed the move, but the Green Party said the Sinn Féin minister "should stop delaying".

Several bus lanes in south Belfast had their operating times extended last November as part of efforts to improve traffic flow.

The change has been extended for another six months as Kimmins said it had brought "improvements in bus journey time reliability, service punctuality and passenger numbers".

A similar six-month experimental scheme was planned for bus lanes in north Belfast including York Street, York Road, Shore Road, Antrim Road and Crumlin Road.

Under the proposals, weekday operating times would be increased to include the period from 15:30 to 18:30 alongside an existing morning slot from 07:30 to 09:30, but Kimmins said her department had received "a number of objections and representations".

"In light of this consultation feedback, I have decided to postpone the proposed implementation of the experimental traffic control scheme to allow all objections and representations to be fully considered before a decision is taken on whether the scheme should proceed," she said.

The decision was confirmed in response to Stormont questions submitted by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Phillip Brett and Alliance Party assembly member Nuala McAllister.

Brett, who represents north Belfast, said it was a "welcome u-turn by the minister" .

But he said spending on new signage and preparatory work for the shelved scheme was "deeply frustrating".

"North Belfast needs investment in better roads, better public transport and the long-promised north-south Glider - not ill-thought-out measures that would have increased congestion and damaged local businesses," he added.

Green Party leader Mal O'Hara, the party's representative in north Belfast, said the minister "should stop delaying".

He said many in the community "have no access to a car" and "depend on fast, reliable and affordable buses".

"Once again, a Sinn Féin minister is prioritising the convenience of the wealthiest and car owners over the transport needs of some of the poorest communities in Northern Ireland," he added.

Paul Carlin, chair of the Antrim Road Business Association, said traders were "worried about access to their businesses, both for customers and deliveries".

"Change is very hard for small businesses to live through and the reality is that the wrong decision made by the department could end up with more small business closures," he said.

"So we welcome a more thorough consultation but also acknowledge that a good transport system can bring benefits to local areas."

Translink said decisions on bus lanes were matters for the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the public transport operator would "continue to work in partnership with the department as it considers future proposals".

"Experience from bus priority schemes demonstrates that providing greater priority for buses can help deliver more reliable journey times and improve the attractiveness of public transport for passengers," a spokesperson added.

DfI described the proposed extension of bus lane operating hours as a "traffic management measure intended to improve bus journey time reliability".

A spokesperson said the department's consultation on the plans "received 40 objections and four representations".

"All objections and representations received during the statutory consultation process must be carefully considered before any decision is taken on how the proposed scheme should progress," they added.