New Bus Lanes Cause Rush Hour Delays

New bus lanes in Belfast city centre caused rush hour delays for commuters in cars on Monday morning, when they were put into operation for the first time.

They are on May Street, Donegall Square South and Howard Street, and operate between 07:00 until 19:00 , Monday to Saturday.

A new bus gate has also been opened on May Street - allowing buses to get into their lanes without having to navigate through traffic.

The Belfast On The Move project gives priority to public transport, pedestrians and cyclists.

There are also plans to create new pedestrian crossing points; 1km of new cycle lanes; to speed up public transport and to create more disabled parking bays.

The Northern Ireland Roads Service said about 60% of traffic using the streets at the front and back of Belfast's City Hall is through traffic which is not going anywhere in the city centre.

The advice to drivers is to use different routes, like the M3, the Westlink and the Outer Ring Road.

(H)