Roadworks bring traffic to a standstill

Motorists in Lisburn are still struggling to make their way around the city centre, particularly during rush hour.

With roadworks ongoing throughout the city centre, and more expected, with the Belfast Road at Wallace Park closing for several hours on Sunday, motorists feel more could be done to make life easier.

After raising the issue on the Star’s Facebook page, readers were quick to share their views.

“Rush hour traffic in the city centre is dire,” said Peter Moorhead.

Samuel Brayshay commented: “As an independent public hire taxi driver who for over a decade has worked in market square these changes to the roads were ill thought out with no consideration for the amount of upheavals to people’s livelihoods.

“Even the taxi stand where I and my colleagues sit has been reduced from seven cars to three. Where else are we supposed to work? Lisburn as a city is a joke.”

Raymond Sharon Graham added: “Bloody ridiculous. All ratepayers should be given a reduced rate cause it costs that much in fuel to sit in the traffic, whoever makes these decisions are a joke.”

Borghert Jan Borghmans also suggested that Lisburn relies too heavily on cars. “By over-providing for cars Lisburn town centre is effectively cut off from the rest of town, an island surrounded by fast flowing rivers of traffic.

“The town centre is difficult, dangerous even, to reach for pedestrians and cyclists. Lisburn City Council should stop betting on cars, car access and car parking, and start putting people first.”

Recently Lisburn Councillor Alexander Redpath said that a more carefully thought out traffic management plan needed to be considered whilst work was ongoing around the city.

Mr Redpath said that, having raised the issue several weeks ago, Lisburn City Council are now working with Roads Service on a new traffic management strategy. “Road Service have been very helpful and we’re working with traffic management to work out ways of alleviating the problem.

“I am of the view that road works around the Linen Hall are encouraging road users up Wallace Avenue and Seymour Street.

“At the junction with Queens Road there are traffic lights with a very short light sequence. This sequence is inadequate for inflated volumes of traffic with the result that only a few cars are getting away at a time.

“I’m keen to work with traffic management to see if a different light sequence would speed up traffic in the city centre.”

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