Five park and ride projects announced
Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has announced the first phase of this year’s Park and Ride programme across Northern Ireland.
Five projects are currently being prioritised to address growing demand. They are: Newtownards (Bus), Comber (Bus ), Cairnshill, Belfast (Bus), Downpatrick (Bus), Trooperslane, Carrickfergus (Rail).
Minister Mallon said: “It is encouraging to see that more and more commuters are opting to use Park and Ride facilities as part of their daily journey.
“This is good news as journey times can be reduced, traffic congestion minimised, car emissions lowered and commuters can experience stress free travel while helping to deliver a cleaner, greener environment.
“I have considered a number of factors such as the growing demand for Park and Ride facilities, existing public transport provision and land availability to assist me in reaching a decision.
“All of these projects will service busy commuter routes and when complete will provide 2,030 spaces.
“This is only the first phase of the expansion of Park and Ride programmes for this year. I will make a further announcement about other viable projects as soon as I can.
“I am committed to developing sustainable transport projects, greening our infrastructure and doing what I can to drive down emissions as quickly as possible. Park and Rides will give citizens the chance to use the public transport network as an alternative to commuting, helping to drive down congestion and emissions. Together we can change the way we travel and help protect our environment. This is another step forward and I look forward to taking many more in the months ahead.”