The Department for Infrastructure doesn’t hold any record of any public transport use by minister John O’Dowd - despite earlier saying he uses buses and trains “where he can”.
Mr O’Dowd has encouraged the public to utilise public transport in an effort to tackle Belfast city centre traffic congestion, which saw much of the city gridlocked during rush hours in the lead up to Christmas.
However, critics have said the public transport system in the north is not up to scratch and too expensive, leading many to opt to take the car instead.
The minister has been criticised as traffic problems escalated in Belfast following the opening of the new £340m Grand Central station and works associated with the public realm around the transport hub.
DfI told the Irish News in December that using public transport “isn’t usually a viable option” for the minister, but that he does so “when it is practical”.
The minister has said that the public should “expect congestion” if driving into Belfast, appealing to the public in the Assembly in December “to consider other options they can take to avoid congestion, such as public transport, park and ride, active travel, or if possible, planning their journey to use an alternative route or avoid peak times.”
He added: “The fact remains there are too many cars and too limited a space, so therefore each of us have to make a decision in terms of how we deal with that.”
However, a departmental response to a Freedom of Information request from the Irish News shows that it does not have any record of Mr O’Dowd using public transport since taking up office in February 2024 following the restoration of Stormont.
In the same time, more than £3,000 has been spent on Mr O’Dowd’s ministerial car.
“The Department does not hold a record of any expenditure by the Minister when using different modes of public transport,” the response said.
“Since taking up office, Minister O’Dowd has paid for all his own public transport costs himself.
“The total spend on usage of the ministerial car from February 2024 to date is £3727.20. This figure includes all fuel charges, tyre replacements and service costs.”
DfI has said Mr O’Dowd works in the departmental headquarters in Belfast city centre “at most two days a week” to avoid adding to congestion.
It says the minister spends the other days either in the Assembly, out and about on visits or remotely.
Belfast city councillor Brian Smyth of the Green Party said it was “poor” that there was no record of the minister using public transport and that it would show leadership on Mr O’Dowd’s part were he to be seen to use buses and trains.
“I find it poor that the minister is asking people to get public transport whilst he swans about in his nice ministerial car,” Cllr Smyth said.
“Leadership is about showing change can happen and while the public understands the minister can’t always use public transport, at least being seen to attempt it now and again would be positive.
“We have a disconnected unreliable public transport system which has been underfunded for decades. This sums up the disconnected unreliable mentality from our Stormont Executive.”
