STORMONT’S Department for Infrastructure is prioritising walking and cycle routes over road safety, a local councillor has claimed this week.
The DUP’s Mervyn Storey was speaking during a Q&A session with roads officials following the DfI’s annual address to Causeway Coast and Glens Chamber on Tuesday evening.
To demonstrate his point, Mr Storey drew members attention to a 500m cycle path that has been built on Cromore Road outside Coleraine at a cost of £800,000.
“I can’t get my head around the width of it,” he said. “I thought it was a dual carriageway they were building!”
Mr Storey went on to question the proportion of the department’s budget spent on ‘active travel’ schemes against the number of cyclists on the borough’s roads.
He added: “I think what the Department does is prioritise active travel over safety,”
In response the DfI official said: “We will always prioritise safety where we can and sometimes by doing a active travel scheme we can also improve the safety."
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