North Belfast: Glider plans would cause 'significant congestion'

Proposals to extend Belfast's Glider bus service to Glengormley would "create significant traffic congestion", according to documents obtained by BBC News NI. The papers also conflict with Stormont's infrastructure minister's claim that "there has been no delay" to plans to bring the Glider to north and south Belfast. Liz Kimmins has said she hopes a "full extension" can be delivered by 2033, but previous timescales have ranged from 2027 to 2030. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said the minister was "committed" to the project and a first phase was "on target for completion by 2030". The Glider involves a fleet of purple articulated buses based on a tram design. It launched in 2018 with services running between east and west Belfast. The Belfast Rapid Transit 2 (BRT2) project aims to extend the service to the north and south of the city. It is estimated to cost £124.5m, but just £48m has been secured so far. In 2022, it was announced the preferred route was along the Antrim Road in the north, and the Ormeau and Saintfield roads in the south. It was also decided the routes should extend to Glengormley in the north and Carryduff in the south. Last year Kimmins paused those ext