Drivers in Belfast city centre have been warned to expect congestion, as Stormont’s infrastructure minister urged the public to consider alternative methods of travel.
John O’Dowd said he accepts there have been delays to car journey times in the city centre, saying they are taking longer than usual.
Motorists have complained of weeks of heavy rush-hour traffic in the evenings.
Mr O’Dowd told the Assembly on Monday that he previously warned the public about congestion issues ahead of road and infrastructure works.
He told MLAs he has established a strategic oversight group, which includes the PSNI and Translink, to consider what can be done to ease congestion at peak times.
“The bigger, more general issue is that there are too many cars on the road, and the network has limited resilience to cope with incidents such as those which occurred last Thursday evening and coincided with peak traffic periods,” Mr O’Dowd said.
“Mitigating the congestion issue will need a huge collective approach with everyone considering how they can play a part to help everyone better share out the limited road space available in a smarter way.
“I am appealing to motorists to consider other options they can take to avoid congestion, such as public transport, park and ride, active travel or, if possible, planning their journey to use an alternative route or avoid peak times.”
Mr O’Dowd made the comments in reply to an urgent oral question from the SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole.
Mr O’Toole criticised the Sinn Fein MLA for telling the public to seek alternative travel.
“No one disagrees, minister, that Belfast is too car-centric. But the challenge we face in here now is that in the weeks before Christmas, this city is completely ground to a halt by congestion,” he said.
John O’Dowd said ‘one of the reasons there is so much traffic on the road is because Belfast is a very, very successful and busy city’ (PA)
“With respect, it isn’t simply good enough to tell other people to look at alternative routes.
“What powers are you using, as minister, to see whether roadworks, for example, can be scheduled at times when it doesn’t place huge pressure on businesses, retail and hospitality, who rely on these weeks to survive?
“Our city is in crisis.”
Mr O’Dowd said: “I would caution members who represent Belfast sending out the message that Belfast is in crisis or Belfast is closed for business.
“Belfast is not in crisis, and Belfast is not closed for business. And one of the reasons there is so much traffic on the road is because Belfast is a very, very successful and busy city, and long may it remain so.
“I have taken the actions I can take within the powers I have to ease that congestion. All traffic works, apart from some works going on around Belfast Grand Central Station, have been stopped, and they have were stopped on November 25.”
He added: “If you do travel into Belfast city centre using a car, you should expect congestion, and that leads to congestion for other people as well.”