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'Disappointed' residents have their say on paused Glider plans

Jessica Lawrence
BBC News NI
Pacemaker A wide-shot of the purple Glider bus with the Titanic museum building in the background.Pacemaker
The latest Glider plans were announced in the assembly on Tuesday

Some residents have expressed their disappointment after it was announced that plans to extend Belfast's Glider bus service were to be scaled back.

The current Glider service, a fleet of purple-coloured articulated buses, links east and west Belfast.

On Tuesday, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins announced the long-awaited north-south Glider, known as Belfast Rapid Transit 2 (BRT2), would go ahead.

However, plans to extend the service to Glengormley in the north and Carryduff to the south of the city cannot progress as they are not "economically viable" or feasible at this time.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has previously estimated the route could be operational by 2030.

Earlier this week, BBC News NI travelled to both Carryduff and Glengormley to find out how local residents felt about the announcement.

'Very disappointed'

Karen McKenna - a woman with short brown hair smiles at the camera. She has a pair of colourful square framed glasses on, as well as a plaid scarf and a green puffer coat on. She is standing in front of two parked blue cars and the background is blurred.
Carryduff woman Karen McKenna says the new route would have allowed people to travel to north Belfast with ease

Bordering Belfast's south is Carryduff, a small town with about 7,000 residents.

But it's a growing hub, Karen McKenna said, who is "very disappointed" by the news.

"I feel very strongly that the area's growing," she told BBC News NI.

"There's increased housing and pressure on the roads, and it makes the journey nearly impossible into town in the morning.

"I have two daughters living in Carryduff, and certainly they inform their future decision on continuing to live in this part of the town."

Roy Fallis. A man wears a grey flat cap and is smiling at the camera. He has white hair and a white moustache and goatie. He is wearing a black, padded raincoat and is standing in front of a local shop in Carryduff.
Roy Fallis says pensioners would be upset by the Glider announcement

The area's growth is also mentioned by Roy Fallis.

He said Carryduff is currently without a bank, which means many older people may be looking for more frequent bus services into the city centre.

"It's a moot point with me but if I was dependent on the buses, I think it would be a terrible disaster for the pensioners and all of the people of Carryduff," Mr Fallis added.

Karla Sweetlove. A woman smiles at the camera while wearing small, rectangular glasses and a green bobble hat with 'Keep'er lit' in white writing. She is wearing a black, zip-up raincoat. She is standing in a car park with a grey building behind her, which is blurred.
Karla Sweetlove uses the bus to go to a local shopping centre

Carryduff does not have a Metro service, and often users will rely on Ulsterbus services travelling from Ballynahinch or Downpatrick.

Karla Sweetlove, who has lived in the town on-and-off since the 1980s, says services have never been regular.

"The buses come at 20 past and 40 past the hour... that's sort of the bus service we have here," she added.

Buses 'pretty reliable'

But Francesca McCamley, who gets the bus about once a month and has teenagers who often use public transport to travel to Forestside Shopping Centre, said the current arrangements are fine.

She said bus services were "pretty reliable" and "there's a late bus down until about 11 o'clock home so I don't have any issue with it".

More houses need 'more services'

Rory McGrath, a Carryduff native, said if a more frequent service, like the Glider, was available he would be open to using it.

"You look at the number of houses that are going up in Carryduff and that's going to congest the roads for a start, so if you were to throw in a couple of extra bus services or times on the schedule you're going to fill that and hopefully take cars off the road."

Older people let down

A large blue sign from Antrim and Newtownabbey Council is placed on the side of a two-way road. It reads 'Welcome to Glengormley, Please drive carefully' in white writing. There is a grey car on the road driving slightly in front of the sign.
The proposed Glider route for north Belfast would run along the Antrim Road

About six miles north of Belfast is Glengormley, an area which has seen a spike in major retailers in recent years.

The proposed Glider route for north Belfast would run along the Antrim Road, but now will stop just short of Glengormley.

Paula Toner said she thinks many elderly people in the area will feel let down.

"My family come from west Belfast and they have experienced [the Glider] for the last few years, so definitely I think it would have been a good thing," she said.

While she does not use the bus herself, "I'm disappointed for other people."

Gerald McGarva. A man stands with his mouth open while looking at the camera. He is wearing a ribbed, black beanie, a black puffer raincoat and a navy backpack. He is standing in front of a road as a red car drives by in the background.
Gerald McGarva doesn't drive so relies on Metro services to get him around

Unlike Carryduff, Glengormley does see Translink's Metro buses service the area.

For Gerald McGarva these could be more reliable.

He claimed that services have been cancelled at the last minute and can often be too full to stop, due to school children.

"You can't even get a bus on a Sunday to the Abbey Centre for some odd reason," he added.

Ania Tabor. A woman wears a grey beanie hat and her brown hair is tied to the side. She is wearing a blue ribbed scarf and a darker blue raincoat. She is standing on a pavement on the side of the road in Glengormley.
Ania Tabor often uses the east-west Glider to visit her partner at work

Ania Tabor said the construction work required to bring the Glider to Glengormley would have been a "nightmare" for drivers.

However, she recognises that it will be "good in the long run".

"The buses are always full every day no matter what time of the day," she added.

"The glider expansion will maybe mean less people are on the road in north Belfast."

'Step in the right direction'

Anne Madden Anne Madden - a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black cardigan and is standing in front of white stairs.Anne Madden
Anne Madden is from the sustainable transport charity Sustrans

Despite scaled-back plans for the Glider's second phase Sustrans NI's Anne Madden is feeling positive.

"In the first year it was introduced, there was a 70% increase in passengers and it's just gone from strength to strength," the policy and communications manager told BBC News NI.

"Having a north-south route would really help complete the picture for the whole city so we're really excited."

Ms Madden said that the public in both Carryduff and Glengormley are keen for the Glider route to be extended, and hopes funding issues to provide the service can be sorted.

"I think those two commuter belts really would benefit from having a Glider service as we've seen between Dundonald and Andersonstown, so hopefully it's just a blip because of financial constraints."

She said the minister's announcement on BRT2 is a "step forward in the right direction".

"We now will see the start of provision for a Glider route north to south, and hopefully in time we'll get the rest of the funding to continue it as it should be out to Carryduff and Glengormley."