Representatives for the hospitality and retail sectors in Northern Ireland have called for a pre-Christmas pause to roadworks in Belfast following extensive delays and congestion in and around the city centre.
Hospitality Ulster and Retail NI have jointly called for the return of a “pre-Christmas moratorium” on roadworks in Belfast city centre and the Sydenham Bypass after the construction work was blamed for causing major disruption on Thursday evening.
Last night, Translink warned of delays to bus services in and out of Belfast city centre due to traffic congestion, with numerous Metro services delayed.
Photographs from areas such as the Westlink and M3 at rush hour showed extensive queues of traffic throughout the city.
The two groups have stated that the return of a previously observed pre-Christmas six-week moratorium on roadworks on arterial routes in the city centre is urgently needed.
They also warned that city centre hospitality and retail businesses “may suffer economically during what is traditionally their busiest time of year due to lower footfall caused by traffic congestion.”
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Both organisations have said they have written to the Department for Infrastructure to seek a meeting with the minister John O’Dowd MLA to discuss the possibility of the return of the moratorium.
In a joint statement, Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster and Glyn Roberts, chief executive, Retail NI said: “We have written to the Minister to seek an urgent meeting to discuss bringing back the six-week moratorium on city centre roadworks and the Sydenham Bypass. For weeks now we have seen bad traffic congestion in the city centre associated with the roadworks, but as seen yesterday, one accident can turn bad congestion into a complete standstill.
“Hospitality Ulster and Retail NI have always urged consumers to make public transport their first option, rather than their last and are supportive of the building of an integrated transport hub in Belfast and of the associated modal shift that goes along with that.
“However right now we are suffering from a worst of both worlds where even public transport is being badly disrupted. If traffic and public transport congestion continues as is and worsens the closer we get to Christmas, people simply won’t come to the city centre.
“The building of Grand Central Station, the associated roadworks and upgrade to the Sydenham Bypass are all much needed and once completed will mark significant progress for Belfast.
“We are simply asking for a pause on those works until after Christmas to ensure that progress in one aspect of Belfast city life does not lead to severe damage for another – the retail and hospitality businesses that are the heartbeat of the city.”
The pre-Christmas disruption marks the second year of fears Belfast’s footfall would be impacted during the festive season, after public transport drivers staged a series of strikes last December.