Rise In Number Of Passengers Using Glider Bus Service

The number of passengers using the new Glider bus service has increased since the launch last month.

Thirty thousand more passengers are now using the service - an increase of 17%, according to Translink.

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.

"We continue to monitor capacity and will respond to demand so we keep passengers coming back and build on the early success. We have also already purchased two additional vehicles and are looking forward to their arrival in the spring next year.

"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."

(CD/MH)