Minister challenged over public transport

EXPENSIVE public transport and the prospect of more parking charges in Bangor have sparked a row in the Northern Ireland Assembly this week.

Ulster Unionist MLA Leslie Cree clashed with transport minister Conor Murphy over ´highly priced and unreliable´ buses and trains.

The same minister is threatening to axe the Easibus services in Bangor and will soon decide whether to implement parking charges at the town´s Dufferin Avenue car park.

A charging regime at the popular park and ride facility for Belfast would only add to the parking chaos in the city´s housing areas, it is claimed.

Speaking during an Assembly debate last week, Mr Cree said, "Does the Minister accept that the problem exists because our public transport system is simply inadequate?

"Does he accept that improving the reliability, price and quality of public transport into the city centre would have a direct effect on the problem of on-street parking?"

The minister claims that passenger numbers have risen over recent years, but added, "I accept that. We have been striving to achieve that, and passenger numbers on the rail and bus networks have grown considerably over the past number of years.

"The impetus is to continue to invest to ensure that public transport is reliable, comfortable and accessible. All of our substantial investment in public transport has been intended to achieve that outcome.
"Of course, that is one aspect of what needs to happen to stop the problem of people taking cars into city centre areas and parking them there all day.

"We must reduce the availability of parking spaces in the city centre. Ultimately, we must adopt a carrot-and-stick approach to get more and more people out of private cars and on to public transport. However, public transport needs to be brought up to scratch; the investment is trying to achieve that."