South Belfast politicians have demanded "urgent improvements" to the Four Winds bus service from Translink as residents say it is constantly failing them.
Sinn Fein representatives from South Belfast, MLA Deirdre Hargey and councillor Ryan Carlin, met with leading figures at the public transport provider in order to highlight ongoing issues that have been impacting the number 7 bus service, which includes frequent no-show buses and reports of passengers being told to depart the bus before it had finished its designated route.
It comes after a petition calling for urgent improvements to the bus service was signed by over 1,200 residents.
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The representatives say Translink has committed to the following actions as a result of residents' concerns.
Increased frequency of the 7A & 7B routes in the short term to restore reliability quickly.
Recruitment of additional staff to improve operations, with full implementation expected by spring, when we will confirm the impact.
Acknowledgement of past failures, particularly in November & December, with steps already taken to improve service.
Targeting afternoon peak times, which have been identified as the most problematic period for missed services.
Fixing ‘ghost buses’, where scheduled services disappear from tracking due to last-minute cancellations.
A dedicated control room resource for South Belfast to improve service tracking and response times.
Greater transparency, with punctuality, reliability, and lost mileage data to be shared so we can measure improvements.
Following the meeting, Castlereagh South councillor Ryan Carlin said: "The meeting was positive and we have asked Translink to maintain direct engagement with us and Four Winds residents in the coming months to ensure they listen to those directly affected by service failures.
"If you continue to experience issues—or notice improvements—please let me know so we can report back to Translink’s senior leadership team and ensure they deliver on their commitments.
"We will keep the pressure on until we get the reliable, consistent service that the Four Winds deserves."
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