Glider bus passengers increase 17% in first month

Thirty-thousand more passengers are using the new Glider buses in Belfast every week, according to Translink.

That's an increase of more than seventeen per cent since the launch last month.

The £90m project experienced some initial problems, but Translink says the system is now working well and 90% of the services are on time.

The system is being hailed as a step towards modernising the city’s public transport and easing congestion on its roads.

Chris Conway, Translink’s Group Chief Executive said: "We are very pleased with the initial response from the public to Glider, we have had much positive feedback, both in terms of the look and feel of the vehicles, but also in terms of the opportunity for people to connect across the city.

"The strong passenger growth meant we had some bedding in issues to manage capacity but we have added extra vehicles and refined network schedules to manage busy periods and are now achieving 90% on time performance which is good news for passengers.

He added: "The growth brings good news for the city of Belfast as more people using the hybrid Glider vehicles means less congestion on our roads. These increased numbers equate to removing over 4,000 car journeys every day and 300 full Gliders of extra passengers each week - this helps protect the environment,improves local air quality and brings considerable health benefits for everyone."