The East Belfast MLA said: “The long overdue announcement from the Infrastructure Minister today (25 February) confirming the extension of the Glider service to North and South Belfast has been met with disappointment.

“Whilst any steps to increase accessibility to public transport is welcome, this project was put on hold for many years, and now the new planned route has failed to meet the expectations of many with key areas in the north and south being left out.

“Our growing population requires frequent and reliable public transport with better connectivity across North, South, East and West Belfast. This will not only help to reduce the amount of cars on our roads and decrease congestion, but it is also a vital step to help protect our environment and reach our net-zero targets.

“I am also concerned about the significant funding shortfall of over £100m stated by the Minister today, which resulted in the scaling back of the North/South Glider scheme. This shortfall could also delay the full implementation of the East Belfast Glider extension from Titanic Quarter to Queen’s University and the City Hospital, which would improve accessibility to education and healthcare for many constituents.

“My Alliance colleagues and I have repeatedly mentioned the need for support for public transport and to build off the success of the East/ West Glider. We urgently need to know how the Minister plans to better connect our communities and address the funding shortfall.

“Alliance will continue to hold the Minister to account to ensure progress is made and residents in North, South, East and West Belfast are able to benefit from enhanced public transport measures.”