Niall McCracken
BBC News NI Mid Ulster Reporter

“I honestly can’t remember ever seeing a bus in my area after five o’clock.”

Pauric is 17 and lives in the village of Clonoe in County Tyrone.

He believes there are huge gaps in rural transport. - and he’s not alone.

Government figures only 20% of rural residents in Northern Ireland live within a three-minute walk of the nearest bus stop, compared to 40% of those in urban areas.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Travel Survey shows almost 70% of urban households reported a bus service frequency of at least once an hour, compared with 20% of those who live in rural locations.

You can read more of Niall McCracken's analysis here.

Chloe Gibson
BBC News NI reporting from Banbridge

Margaret Ringland, 75, is travelling from Rathfriland, in County Down, to Sprucefield.

She says the trip, which would take about half an hour by car, requires four buses.

She is “bewildered” by the lack of services in rural areas.

“It makes sense to drive 20 minutes from my home to get into the main station in Banbridge, rather than waiting up to an hour or even more to get one in my home town," she added.

“For other people my age this isn’t always an option, so I would like to see the rural parts of Northern Ireland catered for just as much at those in the big towns and cities.”

Barry O'Connor
BBC News NI reporting from Grand Central Station

Edwin Poots, the Democratic Unionist Party politician who represents South Belfast at Stormont, dropped into Grand Central earlier.

He says the new station will "definitely drive the economy for this part of south Belfast".

"There is going to be a massive footfall coming through this area; we would hope to build upon that and create opportunities locally."

When asked about the lack of Irish language signs in the new hub, he says: "That's not the conversation we should be having today.

"This is right beside the working class loyalist Sandy Row, so there should be some sensitives in that regard."

Image source, Getty Images

We reported earlier that the cycling faciltiites at the new Grand Central Station are not finished yet.

We've now had statements from two cycling groups calling for this to be urgently reviewed.

Meg Hoyt, the chair of the Belfast Cycle Campaign, has sent the letter below to Translink's chief executive.

And Andrew McClean, Northern Ireland lead at Cycling UK, says while it is encouraging to see a focus on public transport, there is a lack of "joined-up, safe cycle routes across the country".

"If we want public transport to work for communities, we need to see better integrated systems that encourage and prioritise people cycling and walking in tandem with public transport.”

Translink's CEO Chris Conway said the cycling facilities should be finished soon.

Image source, Belfast Cycle Campaigm

Image source, Paul Wickens

Paul Wickens asked us a question via the contact form: "Why is Translink not running buses at a very busy time with many people needing transport from the airport?"

Paul and his wife arrived into Belfast International Airport from Portugal at about midnight last Friday.

"We are avid supporters and users of public transport," he said.

"The last bus from the airport into Belfast is 11:30 at night. The next bus is at 01:50 and roughly every hour until just after 07:00 when the frequency increases.

"We exited the airport after midnight to find a disgruntled queue of people waiting for taxis. We overheard several visitors to Northern Ireland complaining about the poor experience."

Paul and his wife chose not to wait and got a taxi home to Belfast.

He may be happy to know that one of the recommendations of a recent review was to reinstate the Lisburn to Antrim railyway line, which would bring the train to Belfast International.

Frankie Dean got in touch to tell us their opinion and they did not hold back.

"Trains non-existent; buses hardly fit for purpose; local buses stupid timings if any at all; last buses finish around 5pm/6pm, completely unusable.

"Bus from Belfast back to Enniskillen stops far too early so can't go to nightlife, see a show, have an evening meal."

What does he think of the new Grand Central Station in Belfast?

"A white elephant when services are like this."

Image source, Getty Images

The recent All Island Strategic Rail Review concluded it would not be financially viable to restore the line to Enniskillen, and Kyle wrote to us to say the county needs it.

"The only way for us to get around is via bus, which leaves a lot to be desired - majority of buses across NI do not have toilet facilities.

"With a rail line we could see the growth of transit oriented development, allowing people more opportunity to live and set up businesses in places other than Belfast."

More from Translink CEO Chris Conway, who was on our Talkbalk programme...

He says there has been an underinvestment in public transport for decades.

"Over the next couple of decades that has to change," he said.

"We're not going to change everything overnight. But we have to start making inroads".

On the subject of Grand Central Station, he says:

• It will allow for a higher frequency of trains across Northern Ireland
• Bike racks should be installed "within days or weeks"
• Regarding accessibility - he said the station was designed to be "very level"

Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI reporting from Belfast city centre

We've been talking a lot about buses and trains this morning but what about cycling?

It's not always practical to cycle into your office, lets be realistic who wants to be a sweaty mess once you get there?

So do work places need to do more to encourage more people to cycle in.

One company in Belfast, Options Technology, recently installed a bicycle locker, showers and changing rooms to encourage people.

Niall McAleer, is one of those who has started cycling in and says that on-site showers and changing rooms makes cycling into work "easier".

For Niall, active travel is a "really good way to feel like you’ve exercised and started and ended your work day with a clear head and stress free."

Danny Moore, president and CEO of Options Technology, told BBC News that he "understands the importance of arriving at work with a clear head and leaving stress-free".

"We’ve implemented a range of initiatives to make exercising and biking to work easy and accessible.

"Our facilities include secure bike lock-ups, changing rooms, and an on-site gym. We also offer a bike-to-work scheme to subsidise bike ownership.”

Roads expert Wesley Johnston told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme that there are conflicting pressures when it comes to transport.

"Investment is very focused towards roads."

Mr Johnston says that "people will need to be convinced" that there needs to be a greater priority given to public transport.

Anne Madden, from transport charity Sustrans, told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme that "there is an unmet need for people who want to cycle".

"At least a third of people want to cycle and walk more, but don't feel they have that option".

Ms Madden says that Northern Ireland has "huge challenges ahead", such as the rural population's growth compared to the urban population.

"We need to do more to improve active travel infrastructure outside of Belfast."

Translink CEO Chris Conway says the provision of urban and rural transport are "very different".

Speaking to the Talkback programme, he said: "Rural transport is about providing social connectivity for people".

However, Mr Conway told the programme that "socially necessary services require a significate amount of funding".

You can listen to the programme by clicking play at the top of this page.

Barry O'Connor
BBC News NI reporting from Newtownards

In Newtownards, there's only one real talking point when it comes to public transport. When will the park and ride be built?

Translink have said when it is finished it should accommodate 450 cars., external

I met up with two local councillors at the site of the old leisure centre, where the park and ride is supposed to be built.

It was a derelict site surrounded by fencing.

Richard Smart, the UUP councillor for Newtownards, said he "wholeheartedly encourages those within DFI and Translink to put their every effort into delivering this project for the people of the town without further delay."

He says that people of Newtownards are being left "without the benefits of a park and ride and with an eyesore of a vacant site."

The DUP's Stephen McIlveen says he has been campaigning on this issue for 13 years.

"I've been keen to progress since I came onto Council in 2011. This will have a hugely positive impact on the issue of problem parking, which has been blighting residents in the town centre," he said.

Cllr McIlveen added that the additional bus services "will be a significant boost to commuters and will hopefully see more visitors to Newtownards".

Emma Orr
BBC News NI reporting from Ballintoy

What's it like for tourists trying to use our public transport system when they are visiting Northern Ireland?

Carina Jacob and Kevin Davidson from Ontario, Canada, used Ballintoy’s public transport on Saturday to travel between the Giants Causeway, Bushmills, and Portrush.

All went smoothly until they missed their last bus back.

“We ended up hitchhiking, and luckily some kind strangers got us back,” Ms Jacob told BBC News NI.

We asked for your stories and views on public transport, and loads of you got back to us. Thank you.

We'll publish a selection of your comments throughout the day.

First up is Frank White, 37, who describes his area as the "land that time forgot".

"There has been no operating train service in my area since 1950 despite railway lines to Newcastle, Ardglass and Killough and Belfast," he said.

Image source, Getty Images

Stephen Nelson, who also lives in County Down, uses one word to describe the services in Banbridge - pathetic.

"It's alright if your looking to travel to Belfast or Newry but the other towns like Portadown, Lurgan or Craigavon," he said.

"First bus is 7am and last bus at 6pm. If your trying get to work for early shifts you need access to a car or arrange lifts."

Louise Cullen
BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent

Northern Ireland has been the slowest nation in the UK to reduce its emissions.

For most of us, the car is still the default option.

We each take an average of 838 journeys a year, travelling almost 5,000 miles. More than two-thirds of them are by car.

Around a third of journeys are less than 2 miles long and half of those short journeys are driven.

Just 2% of all our journeys are by public transport.

Changing the transport choices we make could have a huge impact on our emissions.

"We've built how we move, how we work and shop, and all the rest of it around private car ownership," said Declan Allison from Friends of the Earth.

"And that just can't continue.

"So we need to move to more sustainable forms of transport, such as walking or cycling or public transport.

You can read more from Louise here.

Ross McCrea
BBC News NI reporting from Portadown

In Laurelvale, Megan Irwin uses public transport to get to work in Belfast.

“I don’t drive, so getting a bus to work is so handy, there’s buses every 15 minutes from where I live to Portadown, I depend on it all the time.”

“I think they should put a few more on” she added, “at the weekends, there’s hardly any on, so I think they need to work on that.”

Megan says the staff are “lovely and friendly”, and if there are issues she will “talk away to them”.

Jake Liggett
BBC News NI reporting from Drumquin

On the roads between Drumquin and Omagh, the bus shelters have seen better days.

There are no timetables or any Trankslink branding attached to it.

Scott, who gets the bus to Omagh for work, told me that you can see how unimportant this route is, stating that “no one even cuts the grass at the bus stop these days”.

In the village of Drumquin, some commuters think the signs could be freshened up.

Jill told me, “Nothing changes on this route apart from the buses, the bus signs have been here that long you can’t even see the schedule on them anymore.”

She was keen to stress that there is nothing wrong with the actual route or journey, just the infrastructure around it, adding that the main street “hasn’t even got a shelter”.

Patrick Magee
BBC News NI reporting from Belfast

Andrina Deery is from Enniskillen and uses public transport on a daily basis. She told BBC News NI that the buses miss stops because they are "always full".

"I would like to see buses more often, and with the metro, I wouldn’t like as many single-decker buses. They don’t work, and there’s at least 10 people standing on every bus."

"Comparing buses in Northern Ireland compared to elsewhere in Europe," says Andrina, "I would say that the standard is just as good, but the buses are just not as frequent as they should be."

Mike McBride
BBC News NI

Steve Bradley, who chairs the Into The West rail lobby group, described the new transport hub in Belfast as a “white elephant” and believes it is no more than a “vanity project”.

Mr Bradley, who campaigns for greater investment in rail services across NI and particularly the north west, believes £340m is an absurd amount of money to be spent on transforming an old station that was “by no means falling apart” and believes the money would have been better spent elsewhere.

“Some of that money could have been spent on improving services right across Northern Ireland instead - particularly on the long-awaited and much-needed upgrade to the Derry-Coleraine line," he said.

“It is typical that when Stormont is prepared to pump so much money into Belfast, the rest of Northern Ireland is left with crumbs.

“Take the Waterside station in Derry for example, which opened in 2019, it was funded through EU funding and not Stormont - it appears when something needs done in Belfast the cheque books come out, but when it’s places like Derry the excuses come out.”

Stephen Greer
BBC News NI reporting from Groomsport

Robert Anderson Greer, a pensioner living in Groomsport, normally travels by bike, but with the winter months coming, his use of public transport is starting to pick up again.

“In the summertime, I use my bike 90% of the time. In the winter, it's a different story, and I would use the bus to get to Bangor to do shopping, probably about 75% of the time”.

“They are very punctual. The service is very good. The first service in the morning to Bangor is at 7:25 during the week, and that I think suits most people. It usually only has about 8 or 10 people on the bus, but it is used by the people of the village.”

However, he says that “most people” in the area would like to see more night services and better coordination with the trains arriving in Bangor.

“The last bus from Bangor to Donaghadee leaves Bangor at 9:25 in the evening, and on a weekend, the bus leaves on a Saturday evening at about 9:55.”

Delighted to be using his 60+ Smart pass, Robert says if that part of public transport were to be scrapped, it would have a “detrimental effect” on the group of people that require frequent services.