Infrastructure Minister has announced that taxis will
be permitted to use a number of bus lanes in Belfast city centre
over the festive period.
A Temporary Traffic Regulation has been put in place which will
allow Class A and Class C taxis to use certain lanes, effective
from 6am on the 18 December 2024.
Minister O'Dowd said: "I am committed to bringing
forward measures which will help alleviate the traffic congestion
in the city centre.
“I had previously announced my intention to introduce a
pilot scheme to permit taxis to use city centre bus lanes to help
support the industry and ease traffic. My officials are
continuing to carry out the necessary legislative work and the
consultation period for that scheme will commence very early in
the new year.
“In the meantime, I have asked my officials to urgently
introduce temporary traffic regulations, as an interim measure,
to allow Class A and C taxis to use a number of bus
lanes.
“Belfast is a thriving city and I would encourage anyone
planning to travel to the city centre, especially over the
Christmas period, to plan their journey, use public transport if
possible and if travelling by car factor in extra time for your
journey.
"DFI will continue to work closely with partners in the
coming days and weeks. We all share a common goal of
wanting to keep Belfast moving, while balancing the needs of
everyone who needs to use the city's roads and
footpaths.”
The bus lanes included within the new regulations are:
Inbound towards the City Centre
- Great Victoria Street (Shaftesbury Square – Grosvenor
Road)
Outbound Away from City Centre:
- Great Victoria Street (Howard Street – Bruce Street)
Notes to editors:
- Details on taxi classification are available at:
Taxis and their services |
nidirect
