Taxis in bus lanes 'a huge step backwards', says cycling group

A decision to temporarily allow taxis to use some bus lanes in Belfast City Centre has been branded "a huge step backwards," by a cycling group.

Andrew McClean, Cycling UK's Northern Ireland lead, said it "will make cycling less safe and put more people off cycling in the city".

Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Minister John O'Dowd announced the change on Tuesday in a bid to tackle congestion.

It has been introduced as a temporary measure over the Christmas period, beginning at 06:00 GMT on Wednesday, with retail bodies welcoming the development.

However, Mr McClean said he believed the move "does nothing to meet the needs of people looking for healthier, cheaper and more sustainable ways of getting around".

"Even the department's head of roads said that we need 'to get more people onto public transport, or to walk and cycle'," he added.

He said Belfast has a "serious lack of safe cycle routes, and by opening up bus lanes to more drivers, we risk making things even worse for people that choose to travel by bike".

The temporary traffic regulation will allow Class A and Class C taxis - categories that include private-hire taxis and Ubers - to use certain bus lanes.

However black taxis, which are public-hire, were already allowed to drive in bus lanes.

One black taxi driver, Pat, told BBC News NI that he believed the move could lead to more congestion.

He added: "You look now, the bus lanes are free. Once the private taxis go into them they're not going to be free.

"They're going to be chock-a-blocked and the buses are going to be even later getting to their destinations."

Tuesday's announcement came after a meeting took place between the DfI and business leaders on Monday to consider solutions to the city's traffic problems.

Motorists had complained of weeks of heavy rush hour traffic due to roadworks on the Sydenham Bypass and at the city's new station.

O'Dowd said he was "committed to bringing forward measures which will help alleviate the traffic congestion in the city centre".

Belfast Chamber chief executive, Clare Guinness, said she was "delighted" by the move.

"We were really crying out for some positive action," she told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"Of course we would always have wanted a bit more and could they have done a bit more, but I think we need to take a step back and say 'look it is an easement, it will create some alleviation' in a really busy, critical week.

"I think it's welcome and certainly my members are very pleased about it.

"I think a very willing first step, I expect the engagement and the improvements to continue into the new year."

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said it was a "welcome measure, which we had raised with the minister at both our meetings with him".

He said he hoped it would help improve consumers journey time and ease congestion.

"Belfast City Centre has a fantastic retail and hospitality offer this Christmas and it is crucially important that in these last few days of trading, that consumers can travel in a timely and hassle-free manner".

However the decision on bus lanes has been branded "too little too late" by Stephen Anton, who is co-ordinator of the Licensed Taxi Operators Association and communications manager at fonaCAB.

"Having seen the announcement today, we don't think that's going to help us as much as we would have liked."

Chris McCracken, managing director of the Linen Quarter Business Improvement District, welcomed the initiative as a short term measure.

He said it should be "reviewed in the new year to ensure bus times are not adversely impacted".

Meanwhile, Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said he believed it was "an act of desperation with little regard for the wider consequences".

He added: "Only last week the minister was encouraging people to get the bus into the city centre, yet now he has given the go-ahead to bus lanes being swamped by private taxis."

For cyclist Daniel Squires, there are "bigger issues in the city centre than letting taxis into bus lanes".

Mr Squires said taxis were "for the most part, pretty considerate" but he could understand concerns.

He suggested a way of easing congestion would be to make "infrastructure better for bikes," which he thinks would be a "big step".

Inbound towards the city centre

• Shaftesbury Square
• Great Victoria Street (Shaftesbury Square - Grosvenor Road)

Outbound away from city centre

• Great Victoria Street (Howard Street - Bruce Street)
• Bruce Street
• Dublin Road

O'Dowd had previously announced longer term plans to introduce a pilot scheme to permit taxis to use city centre bus lanes to ease traffic.

He said officials were continuing to carry out the necessary legislative work to implement this once the temporary measure ends, with the consultation period to begin "early in the new year".

A Translink spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with the Department for Infrastructure through the introduction of this pilot scheme to permit taxis to use the identified city centre bus lanes."