To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the monitoring her Department will undertake of the experimental traffic scheme on the Ormeau Road and Saintfield Road, Belfast, in particular its impact on motorists at junctions in the vicinity of the Forestside Shopping Centre.

My Department will closely monitor the experimental traffic scheme on all of the affected roads, including its impact on motorists. Monitoring will be undertaken through both real-time operational oversight and detailed data analysis.

24/7 coverage of Belfast is provided by officials in the Traffic Information and Control Centre via an extensive CCTV network and signalisation can be adjusted to dynamically alleviate congestion. The Greater Belfast traffic signal network operates under Urban Traffic Control, using preset signal plans to manage traffic flows. Traffic updates are provided on social media platforms and through the TrafficWatchNI website.

In addition, the Department has invested in a suite of evidence-based, data-led tools to enable robust pre- and post-intervention comparisons. These include:

Floating Vehicle Data (TomTom)which has been monitoring journey times and speeds across the network since September 2024;

Bus Journey Time Data to assess public transport reliability and efficiency; and

Smart Sensor Technology to capture multi-modal movement and volume data at selected locations.

Together, these measures will provide a comprehensive understanding of the scheme’s impact on traffic flow and junction performance, supporting future transport planning and investment decisions.

My Department will also review the scheme regularly in collaboration with Translink officials to ensure that public transport performance and wider network impacts are fully understood and addressed.