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, external, 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.