Northern Ireland

Metro 'improvement plan' implemented after more than 13,500 services cancelled over three months

An daily average of 150 Metro services were cancelled in a three-month period
An daily average of 150 Metro services were cancelled in a three-month period An daily average of 150 Metro services were cancelled in a three-month period

A "ROBUST and sustained improvement plan" has been put in place by Translink to address issues that saw more than 13,500 of its Metro services cancelled in a three-month period.

Breakdowns, diversions and traffic congestion together led to around 3,000 cancellations of the Belfast city bus service between July and September last year, The Irish News has learned. But by far the greatest reason for Metro services failing to arrive was a lack of drivers.

Figures obtained through Freedom of Information show that in the third quarter of 2022 some 10627 Greater Belfast bus services were cancelled due to what Translink describes as "driver availability".

In all, an average of 150 services a day were cancelled, totalling 13748 over the three month period.

According to Translink, the figure represents less than 2 per cent of its 6,000 daily Metro services.

However, the company has conceded that it experienced a "dip in the reliability performance" from July to September last year.

"This was due to the number of service adjustments as a result of driver unavailability and other factors including traffic congestion, road traffic accidents, defective vehicles, road works/road closures and other reasons outside of our control," the company said.

"Coming out of the pandemic, the company experienced many challenges in relation to driver unavailability, this was an issue right across the transport industry.

"Following a robust and sustained improvement plan this has been addressed and service performance has recovered in this area."

Belfast councillor Carl Whyte described the cancellation figures as "startling" and said that in the midst of a climate crisis, rising energy costs and what he termed "Belfast's abysmal train and cycle networks", Translink's Metro service should be the "number one choice for city commuters trying to get to work and for people trying to get around the city".

"However these startling statistics mean that passengers at Belfast bus-stops whose only thought should be what time their bus is coming are instead left wondering on a daily basis if their bus is coming at all," the SDLP representative said.

"I have requested an urgent meeting with Translink senior management to discuss this issue and while I would hope to travel by bus to the meeting, the fact is that these figures mean that like many Belfast commuters – I'll have to have a plan B in place should the service be cancelled."