ALLIANCE representatives Councillor Naomi Long MLA and Cllr Michael Long are calling for Belfast public transport users to express their concerns at the level of bus provision in the Rosetta area by attending a meeting organised by Translink on Thursday.
The meeting – at Knockbreda Methodist Church Hall, Rosetta Road, Thursday, 19 August, 7pm – follows representations by Alliance to restore the No. 85 Citybus service following its removal in March this year.
Calling for the reinstatement of the No. 85 service Naomi Long, Alliance’s Regional Development spokesperson, said: “We received a tremendous response to our petition to restore the service, and there is clearly a strong desire within the community to see the bus service restored. It was axed at a time I was receiving many complaints about poor punctuality and reliability. If Translink had tackled these issues, a drop in passenger numbers could have been reversed.
“Unfortunately, Translink are unlikely to reinstate the No. 85 service in the near future. However, it is essential to get some form of service restored between Rosetta and the upper Ormeau Road, so that people can catch a bus to access essential services like doctors’ surgeries and the library. The only option at this stage seems to be a revision of the route of the existing Easibus service.”
Cllr Michael Long added: “Whilst far from perfect, the Easibus may at least go some way to improving the current situation. Translink has agreed to attend Thursday’s public meeting and we would encourage people to come along speak directly with them about the loss of the No. 85, and, more importantly, use the opportunity to influence Translink as they revise the Easibus route.”
All interested in a better bus service for Rosetta are welcome to attend.