Belfast's First Quality Bus Corridor

The first Quality Bus Corridor in Belfast went into operation on the Ormeau/Saintfield Roads corridor in June 2000.

A QBC is a tried and tested method of encouraging more people to use public transport.  QBC's are widely used in many cities throughout the world.  The Belfast QBC, which runs from Carryduff to the city centre, is essentially a "package" of interlinked measures:

• high quality low-floor accessible buses
• an eye catching bus livery
• shelters, if possible, at every stop
• high quality timetable information at every stop
• bus lanes
• increased frequency of buses
• drivers who have undergone enhanced customer care training.

The QBC is a joint project by the Roads Service and Translink.  With 23 buses in the morning peak on the Ormeau Road stretch of the Corridor the waiting time for buses has been dramatically reduced.

Feedback from passengers has been very positive and patronage has increased.  The QBC has been evaluated by transport consultants and a report was published in February 2001.

A number of other QBCs are planned for the main radial routes into Belfast.  These routes will be implemented as part of the 'Belfast Metropolitan Area Transport Plan' which is due to commence in late 2003.  The next QBC is planned for the Newtownards and Albert Bridge Roads, and infrastructure enhancement has commenced.

Double-decker buses returned to the streets of Belfast in 2001 and operate on QBC routes.