Rapid Transit - Features of Rapid Transit
Belfast Rapid Transit will be a high-quality, customer-orientated public transport system; delivering fast, comfortable and affordable travel across Belfast. In order to provide this high level of service the system will include the following features:
- Integration – The Rapid Transit system will be integrated with existing public transport services (trains, buses, taxis, etc), thus providing a better public transport experience for the traveller. In addition, Park and Ride facilities will be provided at convenient locations to encourage car drivers to make use of public transport within Belfast.
- Guaranteed journey times – The speed and reliability of the vehicles coupled with maximum priority in the Rapid Transit lanes will lead to guaranteed journey times thus making the system more practical and reliable for travellers.
- Vehicle Priority – The Rapid Transit vehicles will have the maximum priority at signalised junctions and on the dedicated public transport corridors thus making the service faster and more reliable.
- Frequency – Rapid Transit will operate a high frequency service, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
- Flexibility – The flexibility of Bus Rapid Transit gives the ability to tailor the service to meet the needs of the community and urban area, detour if streets are closed, extend the network without major delay or infrastructure costs and migrate the system to Light Rail Rapid Transit if future passenger numbers justify it.
- Enforcement – It is essential for the smooth and efficient operation of the network that there is no parking, loading/unloading or unauthorised use of the Rapid Transit lanes during operational hours. This will be strictly enforced by the use of on-vehicle cameras and static cameras.
- Distinctive branding – Rapid Transit will have its own distinctive brand identity which will be displayed in the vehicle livery, the design of halts and in all marketing material.
- Excellence in customer service – The Rapid Transit service will be customer-centred and will deliver the highest standard of service both on and off the vehicles.
- Competitive in cost – The cost of travelling on Rapid Transit will be competitive in order to encourage as many people as possible to get out of the private car and onto public transport.
- Ride quality – The Rapid Transit lanes will be surfaced to a high standard to ensure the highest possible level of ride quality.
- Attractive vehicles – The Rapid Transit vehicles will be modern, clean, comfortable, accessible, safe and secure in order to provide the best possible experience for the customer.
- Modern clean vehicle technologies – The Rapid Transit Vehicles will use new engine propulsion systems (e.g. electric/diesel; LPG; hydrogen fuel cells). This will ensure that the vehicles are clean, quiet and environmentally friendly.
- High quality stops/halts – these will be comfortable, well equipped, safe and secure, with level boarding access to the vehicles. The stops/halts will have CCTV, ticket machines, network information and local information.
- Off-vehicle ticketing – All tickets for the Rapid Transit system will be purchased before boarding the vehicle, thus speeding up the boarding process.
- Low dwell times – As a result of off-board ticketing and vehicles with multiple doors, boarding and alighting will be speeded up thus meaning the vehicle does not wait for long periods at the halt. This will result in reduced overall journey times.
- Real time passenger information – this will be available both on the vehicles and at the halts and will provide information on timetabling and vehicle location.
