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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Connor Lynch

South Belfast residents 'forced to walk long distances' due to lack of buses

Residents on the Donegall Road say they'd like to see an increase in their bus service with the current service causing difficulties.

Angela Johnston of the Great Village Regeneration Trust spoke to Belfast Live about the lack of public transport servicing the area and about how an increase in services would provide a boost to the community.

She said that for the majority of the day there is only one bus every hour and none available on a Sunday, meaning residents are being 'forced to walk long distances' in order to use another service.

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"I don't understand why we have so few buses surviving the Donegall Road area considering the amount of people who live here.

"We are also between two of the main hospitals in Belfast, yet we cannot get a bus on a Sunday and there is only one every hour most of the day.

"It has a real impact on people who are living, working and trying to go to school and many people have to walk to the Lisburn Road or Botanic Avenue if they want to get a bus anywhere. It also has an impact on school children who have to leave their homes very early in the morning in order to get a bus.

"It is common to see large groups of people waiting for ages for a bus to arrive and when you look at the investment into other bus routes and the Glider, I don't see why the Donegall Road is not getting the service that it needs."

A Translink spokesperson said: “The Donegall Road is served by Metro 9E, 9G and 9H services which operate approx. every 30 minutes during peak times and hourly during the day.

“The frequency of services is determined by passenger numbers, which are kept under continuing review.

“Where passenger numbers justify, frequency is enhanced."

Read more: Translink announces timetable changes to bus and rail services over May Bank Holiday

Read more: New flight route announced from Belfast City Airport this summer

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