AQO 3973/22-27
Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 10/09/2026
Answered On Date: 23/09/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether she will review the decision to refuse the installation of street lighting at the bus stops on both sides of the A24 at the junction of Drumaness Road.
Answer:
I am aware of the petition that was submitted by the Member to the Speaker on 5 May and fully understand the concerns of the signatories in relation to this matter. My Department’s policy for the provision of street lighting is detailed in Policy and Procedures Guide E072. In rural areas, my Department uses two main criteria when considering the provision of street lighting relating to the density of development along a road, including public buildings with significant night-time use, or where lighting is likely to help at sites that have a significant history of night-time collisions. While bus stops are not considered as a separate criterion within the policy, its application ensures that the limited resources available are directed to areas where they can provide the most benefit to the public, particularly where road or infrastructure safety is concerned, including locations where buses stop within rural communities. It also serves to balance the demand for more rural lighting against the unwelcome effects of increased urbanisation of the countryside, the environmental impact of night sky light pollution on people, wildlife and flora and the financial costs of providing and maintaining additional public lighting installations. However, I recognise that lighting can make an important contribution to personal safety and reassurance, particularly for women travelling after dark and for children on routes to and from school. Forthcoming policy developments may incorporate consideration of enhanced measures, including the provision of targeted lighting at specific locations, where deemed appropriate. My officials are also working with Translink to examine opportunities to improve safety and accessibility at bus stop locations, particularly on parts of the rural road network where additional infrastructure measures may be most effective. Given the scale of the network and the need to target investment where it can deliver the greatest benefit, this work is ongoing to shape a programme of targeted improvements at priority locations. I have asked my officials to arrange a meeting with you at the location, to discuss the site-specific issues that are prevalent to the area.
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