The Fleadh’s traffic-free zone throughout Belfast city centre has been broadly welcomed by politicians, as the all-Ireland festival moves into its final weekend.

The pedestrianised area stretches from road around city hall to the campus of Ulster University, creating a massive space where thousands can safely wander around impromptu performances of music and dance in the heart of the capital.

A massive influx of visitors combined with an area where cars are outlawed has led to a massive boost for public transport, with Translink its trains and buses around the province had more than 1m passengers during the first five days of the Fleadh – an increase of around 275,000 on the same period in August last year.

It has led to suggestions that the traffic-free zone should return, possibly for other major events in the centre of Belfast or even be made permanent.

placeholder image — An area outside Belfast City Hall has been pedestrianised for the Fleadh. Photo: Iain Gray/News Letter

But should it? The pedestrianisation isn’t quite the standard procedure; many of its barricades are manned, in order to let buses travelling on rejigged routes past while cars are blocked.

In addition, the zone had to be expanded after the first three days of the festival, which has had a knock-on effect as several bus routes were then barred from tlooping around city hall and some stops in the area were taken out of action.

And before it began, taxi drivers raised concerns that they wouldn’t be allowed to travel into the pedestrianised zone when carrying disabled passengers.

As far as people attending the Fleadh go, the measure has certainly been a boon, adding to a free-flowing carnival atmosphere as crowds pack the heart of Belfast.

For Green Party councillor Brian Smyth, the future is obvious: “Pedestrianise the living daylights out of the city centre.”

As a legacy of the Fleadh, he stated, he’d like to see “a large scale pedestrianisation” of the area.

“Yes, there would be challenges around transport and those with mobility issues,” he stated, “but I believe with consultation and the will we could find a way around this.

“I’ve been shouting about this since first being elected in 2019. We can have nice things; a cleaner, more vibrant city centre, that also boosts local businesses.”

More cautious, though still open to talk about the issue, was DUP group leader Sarah Bunting.

Although she feels the Fleadh’s traffic-free zone is “creating a welcoming atmosphere and allowing people to enjoy the city in a different way”, she warned that “what works for a large-scale event doesn’t necessarily work for everyday life”.

She told the News Letter: “We must recognise the practical challenges permanent or more frequent pedestrianisation can create, particularly for elderly people and those with mobility issues who rely on public transport to access the city centre.

“Any long-term proposals must strike the right balance between creating an attractive city centre and ensuring it remains accessible for everyone.”

This afternoon, a Belfast official predicted that visitor numbers to the all-Ireland festival would pass 1m by the end of the day.

The Belfast One Business Improvement District has been using cameras to track footfall. According to the body’s chief executive officer, Martina Connolly, the number of people seen in the city centre during the Fleadh cleared the 900,000 mark on Thursday, meaning the festival has already exceeded predictions of 800,000 visits.