A darkening journey; how the campaign for Belfast night buses is an effective response to concerns over student safety.
By Ellen Lundy
We all deserve to feel safe. Whether you are studying late in the library, having a pint with friends, or simply working a part-time job into the night, it is a human right and a desire we all share. However, when the time comes to brave the journey home, can we say that safety feels like a priority in Belfast? It’s an all too familiar scenario. You’re leaving the bar, the library, or wherever you like to spend your evenings. The sky has darkened, leaving the empty street as your only comfort on the journey home. You decide to walk. The price of an Uber is a luxury that many cannot justify. As you endure the icy October air, the heavens open and it begins to rain. You speak a silent curse to the wind. You must be careful to keep your head low and not attract any unwanted attention. You will not feel at ease until you return home. How is it fair that this is how young people must live? Not being able to afford the “luxury” that their safety has become? We need an alternative system. The SDLP are currently campaigning to have Translink run night buses. This is an effective response to the issue of keeping students safe whilst also allowing them to enjoy the perks of student nightlife. However, they have a long road ahead in making this monumental breakthrough. Will you decide to take the journey with them?
There is an overwhelming need for night buses in Belfast. In speaking with Aobh Hollywood, a 2nd Year Law with Politics student and chairperson of the SDLP Youth, about her involvement in the SDLP’s campaign for night buses, she stated:
“With most bus routes finishing around 11 p.m., the potential of the cultural and night time economy is limited, whilst also leaving workers without safe and affordable routes home.”
In conversations I have had with students over the last few weeks, I have seen these sentiments reflected as things such as their part-time jobs and extracurricular activities feel hindered by ineffective transport methods in Belfast.
Aobh further added that “for students, especially during a cost of living crisis, it is vital.” With students struggling to heat their homes and pay basic bills, how can we expect them to have the disposable income required for private transportation?
With the recent revelation that 97% of women have experienced sexual assault and the rolling out of the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme (a programme where, if you feel like you are in a dangerous situation in a bar or nightclub, you can ‘Ask for Angela’ in order to alert the staff), we must ask ourselves why we are not being protected on our journey home? Aobh talked about the SDLP’s recent event, discussing “problems and solutions to nighttime safety around Belfast.” One of the key reasons surrounding the need for night buses was the safety of young women. Aobh added that:
“Night buses will obviously not be an end to violence against women, but it is a short-term solution to aiding women’s safety at night.”
As we try to rebuild the economy and entertainment sector in a post-pandemic society, night buses are an essential step to ensuring that nightlife in Belfast is a safe and affordable experience for all.
In terms of involvement, the SDLP’s Aobh Hollywood (SDLP Youth), Matthew O’Toole MLA (South Belfast) and Claire Hanna MP (South Belfast) are collectively campaigning for night buses in Belfast and have a petition live on the SDLP website. As of late October 2023, they have 481 of the 500 required signatures.
I posed a question to Aobh: what happens after I have signed the petition? She explained that once they have the necessary 500 signatures, they will present their petition to Translink with the aim that the public support for night buses will encourage Translink to agree. Your signatures are a vital step in establishing an effective system of public transport at night in Belfast.
The darkness can be scary for many. As we approach the winter months, the safety of Belfast students, workers and those looking to enjoy what the city’s nightlife has to offer must be paramount. Safe travel is a necessity, not a luxury. As we begin the journey toward safer streets, we must join the fight for safer modes of transport. One night bus at a time.
Edited by Sarah Michaelides
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