The North's Regional Development Minister has unveiled a new Regional Transport Strategy which if implemented would see almost £1 billion sterling spent on roads and public transport over the next 10 years.
Mr Peter Robinson told the Assembly that the proposed Regional Transport Strategy would have a major impact on the social and economic life of Northern Ireland by providing a transportation system fit for the 21st century.
Among the proposed improvements are a rapid transit scheme for Belfast, over £200 million worth of strategic highway improvements, a programme to tackle the serious road maintenance backlog, the introduction of a new bookable rural transport system, more quality bus corridors, updated rail services and a better use of information technology.
The strategy is to undergo a consultation period until April 16th. Mr Robinson said he would do his utmost to secure the additional £950 million necessary to implement the plans. The Minister's regular budget over the next 10 years is expected to be just over £2 billion.
"I regard it as an imperative that we get the additional funding to have this strategy going forward, otherwise we are going to have a very bleak picture in terms of the next 10 years for Northern Ireland," he added.
Among the strategy's targets is to update the bus fleet, an increase in Belfast Citybus patronage by 25 per cent, and a new Ulsterbus route network in all towns.
With regard to rail services, all current trains are to be replaced by new carriages, with the exception of the Belfast-to-Dublin Enterprise service, which has only recently been modernised. Rail patronage is to be increased by 50 per cent. As to roads, 10 new bypasses are to be completed with 30 kms of dual carriageway, 30 kms of widened carriageway and eight major junction improvements proposed.
Mr Robinson said he was quite clear about how the strategy could be funded. "We believe that, although very challenging, such an increase in investment is achievable and potential sources are identified in the consultation paper, including additional expenditure funds, such as Executive Programme Funds, increased developers' contributions and other funding from the private sector, notionally earmarked at £325 million," he added.
The strategy has been welcomed by a number of MLAs but criticised by environmental campaigners for not placing enough emphasis on public transport. Only four per cent of all journeys are currently made by bus or rail.
The SDLP's spokesman on Regional Development, Mr Joe Byrne, said the strategy marked a positive step towards the development of an accessible, sustainable and efficient transportation infrastructure but lacked sufficient emphasis on cross-Border co-ope ration and transportation planning in an all-Ireland context.
The deputy chairman of the Regional Development Committee, the UUP's Mr Alan McFarland, said that unless public transport was of the highest quality commuters would not be persuaded to abandon their cars.