A call has been made by an Alliance assembly member for bus lanes to be temporarily suspended during upcoming major strike action planned for Thursday. Members of the public service sector, including bus and train drivers, are set to engage in the largest strike in Northern Ireland’s history. Bus lanes were still enforced during the transport strikes in December, even though no buses were operational. A total of 500 people were found to have been fined for driving in bus lanes during the strike.
During the strike, if drivers are caught in a bus lane, they can be issued with a £90 penalty charge notice, which may be reduced to £45 if paid within 14 days. Existing bus lane enforcement will remain in operation during the industrial action, according to a spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure, to encourage people to use sustainable modes of travel like cycling, walking, car-sharing and public transport operated by authorities representing health and education services and the emergency services.
The Alliance Party’s infrastructure spokesperson, David Honeyford, has said that bus lanes could be used to help curb congestion issues caused by a higher usage of private cars during the strikes. He made a case for suspending the bus lanes for the duration of the industrial action to ease congestion and the possible negative impact of increased traffic on the environment. “It would be a sensible approach in terms of maximising traffic flows, especially during rush hours, and minimising air pollution, until the industrial action is finished and bus services resume,” he said.
As many of those who were fined appealed their penalties on the grounds that no buses were operational on the specified dates, BBC News NI understands, the Alliance assembly member called for the temporary suspension of bus lanes as an effort to mitigate traffic issues. The Department for Infrastructure has responded that maintaining safe spaces for cyclists and motorcyclists, and providing ease of access for the emergency services, is always of paramount importance. The spokesperson added that bus lane enforcement will continue as normal
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