NORTH Belfast SDLP councillor Carl Whyte has called for clarity around plans for a new traffic scheme outside the new Ulster University campus on York Street.
A consultation has been carried out on plans to ban most vehicles from the area.
Councillor Whyte said a clear way forward was needed for both motorists and the thousands of students now regularly travelling to the area, particularly given the disruption to traffic caused by road closures after the fire at Cathedral Buildings.
Councillor Whyte said: "Weeks after a university campus with 25,000 students opens at the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, DFI officials are still scratching their heads about how to deal traffic in the area with no proposal finalised and a likely delay of months if not years before any actual work takes place.
“Added to this is the lack of any progress on permanent pedestrianisation of Hill Street and the ongoing uncertainty following the Cathedral Buildings fire which has caused significant disruption to traffic in the area.
“These delays are not acceptable and the Minister needs to quickly finalise and implement a proposal for the area which puts the safety of the student population first."
A DfI spokesperson said: “The proposed experimental scheme aims to make this busy part of Belfast city centre a cleaner and more attractive area by combining elements of active travel, connectivity and place-making.
“The consultation has now closed and the department is giving due consideration to all responses before any final decisions on the scheme are taken.
"If the scheme proceeds as planned the initial period of the Experimental Order will be six months and can be extended up to a further 12 months, in six-month intervals.
“Regarding the recent fire on Donegall Street, the Department has worked closely with other stakeholders and the roads within the exclusion zone remain closed until the structure of the building can be deemed safe enough, by Belfast City Council, for it to be reopened in some capacity.
"The Department is awaiting a timeframe for this and it is too early to ascertain if this will impact on the proposed scheme, if it goes ahead.”
