Many businesses on the Antrim Road have spoken of their concerns, now that the Glider will be introduced onto the busy thoroughfare.
On Friday, Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd announced the proposed G3 route will go along the Antrim Road in the north of the city and along the Ormeau Road and Saintfield Road in South Belfast.
This week, we visited the Antrim Road to speak to local business owners about its pending introduction of the new service to the area.
Bill Shaw, from the Duncairn Centre for Arts and Culture welcomed the Glider, saying it will help re-connect the city further.
It occurs that the Glider could easily integrate with @CircleLineBT at Yorkgate, then on to the Antrim Road via Duncairn Gardens - avoiding potential congestion at Carlisle Circus 🧐
— Paul Sullivan (@pjpsullivan) October 22, 2022
"I think the Glider coming to North Belfast is great for connecting the city," he said. "I think any issues around traffic, footpaths and parking can be overcome.
"I did not want the issue to be turned into an orange and green one, Antrim Road v Shore Road. If the Glider is properly managed, I think it can help businesses along the road.
"For too long, Belfast has been a disconnected and dysfunctional.
"I think for us, it might encourage more people to come into this part of the city, which they may not have been to before. I think it has to be a good thing."
Ryan McLarnon, from Parkview Carpets, fears the Glider will have a harmful impact on his business.
"It is terrible. The Glider will do nothing but harm for our business," he stated. "It stops lorries delivering and customers coming with parking issues outside.
"People are not going to get on the Glider with samples of carpets.
"I went to all the consultation meetings and Zoom calls but the decision was already made. There was nothing we could have done."
Great that Glider is going ahead but why do we have to wait until 2027 and some big purple bendy-busses to be delivered before we can have 12 hour bus lanes on the Antrim Road, more frequent services and a continuous north-south route?
— Niall Robb (@nialljrobb) October 22, 2022
Aidan Rainey, from Belfast Back Care and Physiotherapy, raised concerns over the possible removal of parking bays outside their centre.
"We rely on the parking bays outside for our customer parking. I fear they will be removed to make room for a Glider bus lane," he added.
"In the consultation process, I raised concerns regarding it and we have not received any reassurances on that.
"Many of our clients are in pain and everything else. It is more convenient for them to take the car.
"Another question we raised was disability access to our premises. It is causing us a lot of concern and worry if our service will be sustainable when the Glider comes."
