A shortage of taxis and public transport options in Belfast has sparked new concerns over women’s safety if they are forced to walk home after a night out.
Those of us who enjoy a night out will be all too familiar with the current difficulties of getting home from the city centre as the post-pandemic taxi shortage continues.
Many have found themselves faced with no other option but to walk home in the early hours due to a shortage of taxis and late night buses or trains in the city, particularly at weekends.
Read more: Transport bosses respond to concerns over lack of taxis and late night buses in Belfast
It has prompted one young woman to contact Belfast Live about the late night taxi shortage to share her experience and concerns for her own safety.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I can never get a taxi home but on a recent night out my friend and I managed to flag one down. The driver wanted us to pay him £20 upfront regardless of the distance we were travelling.
"Additionally I live near the City Hospital so I will often end up walking home if I can’t get a taxi. One night I was walking home with my roommate and a guy started following us.
"We hadn’t noticed and it was only when my friend was getting food and I was entering our building across the road that she turned round to check on me.
"The man was trying to follow me in and grab me. My roommate ran across the road and stopped the worst from happening but it was quite traumatic for me.
"I understand it was my decision to walk home but I feel like you don’t have any other option in Belfast at the minute," she added.
Earlier this week transport bosses responded to criticism of Belfast's "serious problem" at night time by one of the city's leading music promoters.
It came after Charlotte Dryden, CEO of the Oh Yeah Music Centre called for an intervention to the problem of finding a way home at the end of the night, branding it "embarrassing".
In response, Translink has said it is aiming to provide further additional later evening services to support the night-time economy.
Meanwhile the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), which is responsible for public transport as well as regulating taxi operators, says it's committed to addressing the issues facing the industry.
But Sonya McMullan, Regional Services Manager at Women’s Aid NI, said the poor transport links and infrastructure day or night is really concerning at this time.
"When we are talking about violence against women and girls, they need to be safe on the streets and behind closed doors. These forms of harassment and violence unfortunately happen at all times of the day and night, though of course people are more vulnerable in the evening.
"We all know that women look over their shoulder, keep their keys in their hands just in case and are always worried," she said.
"It is an issue of course that we are campaigning for in relation to the new VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) Strategy, which the Executive Office is now working on.
"As part of the consultation process for the VAWG strategy, we recently asked women within our services and also staff a number of questions. One of these was have you ever felt uncomfortable, vulnerable or unsafe by male behaviours?
"The response was 94% saying yes so it's staggering that most women at some time feel unsafe because of the actions of a man. Also you are more at risk from someone you know as well."
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Sonya added: "Many years ago when I was a student there was a night bus that went up to halls while one of the taxi firms had an initiative that if you didn’t have the money to get home, you gave them your student card and then sorted it the next day.
"But the issue now is that we don’t have any transport. It is rubbish and puts everyone off going out as you are always worried about getting home.
"I know even from my own kids coming home after a night out that they are staying in friends' houses who are closest to town and coming home the next day. In another extreme some are taking to the Belfast Bikes to make it home!
"It is so concerning and if we look at the night time economy which is so fragile at this time it is important that we are able to get home from a night out, whether it's for those enjoying an evening our or those working."
Read more: Why is it still so hard to get a taxi in Belfast?
Read more: Belfast bar worker forced to walk home in early hours as cab firms struggle to meet demand
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