Taxi use of bus lanes in Belfast during the Christmas period raises safety concerns for cyclists. Cycling UK warns the move will make roads less safe and discourage cycling.
Cycling UK have warned that the new measures will make the roads less safe for cyclists. 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' 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.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 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
TAXIS CYCLING SAFETY BELFAST TRAFFIC
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