Plans to extend the operating hours of several north Belfast bus lanes have been postponed while transport officials examine objections submitted during consultation. The experimental scheme had proposed adding weekday afternoon restrictions to corridors that currently operate mainly during the morning peak.
The affected stretches include sections of Antrim Road, Shore Road and York Road. Published proposals would retain the existing 7.30am to 9.30am periods and add operation between 3.30pm and 6.30pm on weekdays. The measures were intended to test whether longer hours could improve bus journey reliability on the northern routes.
BBC News NI reported that the planned start had been pushed back following objections, after similar changes were introduced on southern Belfast corridors last year. The postponement means the current signs and operating times remain in force unless and until the department confirms a revised start date.
The Department for Infrastructure's consultation describes the measure as a six-month experimental traffic-control scheme. An experimental order allows the authority to monitor day-to-day effects and receive further representations before deciding whether arrangements should be retained, changed or removed.
Drivers should continue to follow the times displayed on each roadside sign rather than assuming that a city-wide timetable applies. Bus lane restrictions can differ by corridor and direction, and enforcement is tied to the signed hours at the individual location.