Sustrans trials new info-gathering bike lights amid bus lane storm
Mention Belfast’s bus lanes on local radio and you’re guaranteed a row. The beleaguered buses, the frustrated taxi drivers, the lycra-clad hordes all fighting over the territory - all the road tropes beloved of broadcasters are in there. But thanks to all the recent political upheaval in Northern Ireland and further afield, the latest bus lane turmoil has gone mostly unnoticed. Just as the Assembly blinked out of existence, the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) launched one of the most contentious moves in a long time when it announced a 12-week trial permitting private taxis to use Belfast’s bus lanes. Cyclists were outraged at what they branded a “shock announcement”, with the Bikefast lobby group warning that the announcement of the trial offered no public information on benchmarks, monitoring, judging criteria or safety checks and was implemented without public consultation. Describing Belfast’s bus lanes as a “safe haven” for cyclists, Sustrans criticised the move
