Belfast Glider: Unionists say new route unveiled by Sinn Fein's Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd bypasses their areas in North Belfast

Minister O’Dowd today announced the preferred route for a new phase of the Glider roll out across Belfast, which will see the service extended to north and south Belfast.

The North Belfast route will run from Belfast City Hall along Donegall Place, Royal Avenue, Donegall Street and Clifton Street to Carlisle Circus then continuing along the Antrim Road to Glengormley.

The announcement follows a public consultation which ran from 26 July 2021 to 4 October 2021

Minister O’Dowd said: “I know that people across north and south Belfast have been keen to see progress on extending this successful service so I am pleased today to announce my decision on the preferred route.

“My officials will now commence the detailed design of the proposed G3 route along the Antrim Road in the north, and along the Ormeau Road and Saintfield Road in the south."

The new routes were given a warm welcome by Translink Group Chief Executive Chris Conway, Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, and Alliance representatives Paula Bradshaw MLA and Councillors Michelle Guy and Nuala McAllister.

Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Carlin also welcomed the South Belfast route, which he said will give "a significant boost to the area".

But DUP North Belfast MLA Phillip Brett was not impressed.

“The exclusion of the Newtownabbey area from the proposed North Belfast Glider route is completely unacceptable,” he said. “The proposals from the Sinn Fein Minister, exclude some of the most densely populated communities of North Belfast, who rely on public transport. To exclude the communities of Glengormley, Rathcoole and the commercial area of Abbey centre defies logic.”

TUV North Belfast spokesperson Ron McDowell said that “Sinn Fein are entirely incapable of objective decision making in Northern Ireland”.

He added: “The North Belfast Westminster constituency has a roughly 50% Unionist electorate and Sinn Fein have remarkably introduced a multi-million pound bus network that does not pass through a single unionist area."

The Shore Road for the new bus route was the obvious and best proposal, he added.

Sinn Fein and the Department of Infrastructure were invited to respond.