THE installation of a Belfast Bikes halt at the Kennedy Centre has been welcomed.

The extension of the scheme has been hailed a “new sustainable method of travel” linking the Kennedy Centre to the city centre. This expansion has extended the scheme further into West Belfast with halts located at the Broadway entrance to the Royal Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Twin Spires and Millfield.

John Jones, Centre Manager at the Kennedy Centre told the Andersonstown News he is “delighted” to have the Belfast Bike scheme “up and running at the Kennedy Centre". 

“A big thanks to everyone who helped secure this new facility, particularly Sabine Kalke from Belfast City Council and Councillor Rónán McLaughlin. 

“It's great to see a new sustainable method of travel to and from the Kennedy Centre and throughout Belfast for our customers. We are always looking for new green initiatives at the centre and this fits the bill perfectly, not to mention helping to link us to the city centre."

In welcoming the installation of the Belfast Bikes at the Kennedy Centre, Sinn Féin Councillor Rónán McLaughlin said, it "is just a starting point".

“It’s great to see the extension of the scheme rolling out in West Belfast and there is going to be a further expansion of it. We have allocated within this Council term over a million pound for Belfast Bikes and that is not to look within the city centre but to look within each quarter of the city and to expand the network to make it as easy for constituents to use a sustainable mode of transportation wherever they like.

“We want to see a huge expansion of the network in West Belfast. I know the West Belfast Partnership Board is working on a safe segregated cycle network for West Belfast which we would hope would link into the Kennedy Centre and the other locations that we’re looking at the minute, it’s all about trying to tie this all in together.”

Cllr McLaughlin said he hopes Coláiste Feirste will be the next site for the installation of a halt.

“There’s going to be further ones coming down the line hopefully the one at Coláiste Feirste is about to be passed as well so that you can travel internally in West Belfast using Belfast Bikes.”