Sustainability is a key priority for Translink.

Most recently, the 2010-2011 Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme ranked Translink as the highest scoring organisation in Northern Ireland and the highest ranking transport organisation in the UK. A mandatory scheme run by the UK Government’s Environment Agency, it encourages large private and public sector organisations to reduce their carbon footprint by developing and implementing energy management strategies and included more than 2100 participants from across the UK.

In 2010-2011, Translink’s overall carbon emissions were reduced by 3 per cent compared to the previous year and the organisation continues to look at ways of conserving energy and improving energy efficiency through technology, work practices and employee awareness initiatives.

The following example clearly shows how sustainability is influencing Translink’s long-term vision for local passenger transport.

New Antrim Integrated Bus & Rail Station

In early 2012, Translink will start construction work on a modern, innovative and sustainable passenger facility serving the Antrim area in line with its ‘Go Eco’ business focus.

The £3 million Antrim Integrated Bus and Rail Station project is part-funded by the Department for Regional Development and through the European Union INTERREG IVB North West Europe (NWE) financial scheme as part of the ‘SusStation’ Achieving Sustainable Stations Project.

The facility will be a modern, attractive, accessible and comfortable transport hub fit for today’s busy lifestyle. It represents a further major milestone in the development of bus and rail passenger facilities for Northern Ireland.

Local people can not only expect a first class integrated bus and rail station meeting their travel requirements but one that will also involve the sensitive restoration of the railway’s listed building façade.

The integrated designs for Antrim raise the bar in terms of environmental and sustainable station development in Northern Ireland with the following features planned to ensure that the station’s environmental impact is controlled:

• roof mounted solar panels;

• a natural ventilation system;

• a naturally insulated green roof;

• a grey water harvesting system;

• a reclaimed clay facing brick and triple glazed curtain walling.

Additional integrated bus and train passenger facilities will include:

• a park and ride facility providing 180 spaces;

• a new traffic management system and improved pedestrian access;

• an integrated bus and rail ticket office;

• an enclosed modern accessible waiting area;

• new public toilets and parent room;

• commercial and retail space; and

• new staff facilities.

The project clearly highlights that there is an opportunity for future passenger facilities to really embrace sustainable features and technology to be more environmentally-friendly and operate more efficiently. In addition to the environmental benefits, this imaginative project has the potential to raise the profile of public transport.

Soft measures are also part of the project and there is considerable opportunity to engage with local communities and stakeholders to demonstrate how sustainable travel options contribute to the economic, social and environmental development of a region.

Plans for Antrim have already attracted European interest with a delegation of representatives from the European SusStation Project – an initiative that supports the construction of sustainable stations – visiting the site to view and discuss the cutting-edge project with both Translink and local political representatives.

The new Antrim Integrated Bus & Rail Station plans are now on display to the public in Antrim train station with the project due for completion in the summer of 2013.

For more information contact:
Web: www.translink.co.uk
Tel: 028 9066 6630

The sales of electric and hybrid cars has been slow in the UK, with only 1,289 ultra-low emissions vehicles registered from January 2010 to June 2011 compared to 3.1 million petrol and diesel cars in the same timeframe.

This is mainly due to the cost, but with technological advances and proper incentives for motorists and manufacturers, they will become more popular, according to Hurwitz.

Currently a ‘plugged-in places’ project is underway in eight areas across the UK including Northern Ireland. Between January and March 2012, 41 22KW charge posts will be installed in Belfast, Newry, Armagh, Enniskillen, Derry and Larne. Confirmed locations are at the end of the M1, on route to Derry near the Glenshane Pass, Newry and Sprucefield.

Data received from those will be used to analyse how drivers would use and recharge their electric vehicles and will help prepare the electricity grid for future demand.

“In 2008 I asked a group of middle-aged men what they thought of when I said electric vehicles?’ and they answered: ‘Milk float, golf buggy, Sinclair C5 and a G-Wiz,’” remarked Hurwitz.

“It is remarkable how far we’ve come,” he added pointing to the Jaguar CX75, the BMW I3, the Peugeot 308 plug-in hybrid, the Renault Kangoo van and the Ford S-Max, all of which will be on sale by 2013.

The fact that Ford which is “a very good barometer of an extremely cautions, capital-intensive, high op-ed industry” has started making investments into electric vehicle technology is a positive sign for the market.

Fear of running out of battery power during a journey is another disincentive. This “irks” Hurwitz. “A number of plug-in hybrid cars [such as the Chevrolet Volt and the next generation Toyota Prius] do 20 to 40 miles from when you plug it in at home, and when that is depleted there is an on-board generator which keeps it going.”

A national chargepoint registry was announced by Transport Minister Norman Baker on 11 November to “get us away from the mind-set of: ‘Will I, won’t I get there?’” It will be a publicly accessible database of chargepoints across the UK.

There are opportunities and risks with electric vehicles, Hurwitz contends. In Northern Ireland, 100 per cent of freight is transported by road. Light vans would be “particularly susceptible to electrification because of their predictable duty cycles and back-to-base ownership,” he suggests.

Load balancing will be essential and it should be remembered that cars are parked on average for 22 hours a day, Hurwitz continued. ‘Smart charging’ will be essential to avoid a situation whereby “you come home from work, have a power shower, cook your dinner in an electric oven, watch EastEnders on your plasma screen TV and plug in your vehicle at the same time.”

Research and development and manufacturing could benefit from electrification, according to Hurwitz. Approximately 70-80 per cent of all cars produced in the UK are exported and the business cases for the other 20 per cent rely on those cars being sold locally. For example, Nissan chose to build the Nissan Leaf and the batteries in the North East of England and it assumes it will be able to sell 20 per cent of the fleet in Great Britain.

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles hopes that grants will incentivise motorists to consider buying an ultra low emission (i.e hybrid) or electric car. The UK plug-in car grant subsidises 25 per cent of the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum of £5,000 if it has tailpipe emissions of 75/km or less. In addition, the European Union’s strategy for electric vehicles suggests taxation to promote green vehicles, simplifying the administrative rules for obtaining EU research grants and ensuring that a standardised charging interface is established to allow users to charge vehicles during ‘off peak’ hours.

Hurwitz concluded: “It’s time to start thinking in energy terms as to how [electrification] will affect our electricity distribution systems.”

Stephen Curragh argues that the cutting and devolution of air passenger duty should open the way for more tax varying powers.

There may have been relief in the air when the Secretary of State announced a cut in Northern Ireland’s long haul air passenger duty (APD), but the relief may only be temporary unless the broader issue of tax devolution to the Assembly is comprehensively addressed.

The announcement from Owen Paterson came as trans-Atlantic carrier, Continental Airlines, seemed poised to axe its daily service from Belfast to New York (Newark), thanks to the impact of APD on the viability of the route.

APD may not be either a particularly well known or well understood tax, but it should be. Thanks to the differential rates of European APD, a French family of four flying economy within Europe pays the equivalent of £8 in tax for the return journey, while a UK family pays £96. An Irish couple flying from Dublin to New York pays the equivalent of £7 in APD; the same couple would pay £120 if they flew from Belfast and paid the full rate of APD.

And that was Continental’s dilemma. To avoid a mass exodus of potential passengers to Dublin airport and its €3 APD, the carrier had been absorbing the cost, but there was a limit to how long that could continue. So, Owen Paterson’s confirmation that Westminster would reduce APD for direct long haul routes from 1 November probably came in the nick of time. Effectively he has persuaded Chancellor George Osborne that the current rate should fall to the lower short haul bracket — £12 per passenger in economy and £24 for business and first class passengers, instead of the current £60 and £120 respectively.

The announcement is frankly not a surprise. Northern Ireland has already had an opportunity to respond to a Treasury consultation paper on APD, with PwC, DFP and others arguing for the power to vary APD to be devolved to the NI Assembly. Within hours of the Secretary of State’s announcement, the Association of British Travel Agents said the decision to cut the levy and devolve its control to Stormont would create a “real challenge” to the Chancellor in responding to similar demands from other regions. This is no surprise either, because since consultation on APD closed in June, there have been calls for the Scottish Executive to be given the power to set and vary the rate of APD for airports in Scotland not already exempt.

So, while the decision to reduce long haul APD will probably save the Continental New York route, it should be seen as the start of a process of further tax devolution and not simply the end of a campaign to reduce APD. The Secretary of State’s announcement doesn’t say how the reduction is to be paid for. Will it come off the block grant or has the Chancellor agreed to devolve the power to set and vary APD and cut the long haul rate to kick start the process? Either way, it is reasonable to assume that the Executive will – directly or indirectly – have to meet the cost.

But there is nothing fundamentally wrong with that. The Scottish Executive wants the power to set and vary the rate of APD for airports not already exempt and it is vital that Northern Ireland gets the same power to safeguard tourism (which employs 40,000 people, 30,000 of whom are employed outside the Belfast Metropolitan area). Northern Ireland business and tourism relies on air transportation and the achievement of tourism growth targets will be threatened by APD in the region. In addition, air travel remains the most common means of entry into Northern Ireland, with almost three quarters (74 per cent) of overnight visitors and 34 per cent of day trippers arriving by air. Some 68 per cent of visitors from North America and 75 per cent from the rest of the world entered Northern Ireland directly in 2009.

Tourism potential

In 2012, Belfast will recall the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic on her maiden voyage to New York. The £97 million Titanic exhibition centre expects half a million visitors in 2012 alone. Add a new visitor centre at the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site, a peace bridge across the River Foyle in a rejuvenated Londonderry/Derry and the 2012 London Olympics and the local tourism industry is expecting a very good year indeed.

Nearly a third of a billion pounds has been invested in Northern Ireland tourism infrastructure and collectively Northern Ireland’s tourism chiefs hope that this will attract more visitors in 2012, persuade them to stay longer and spend more – and then come back and do it again. Reducing and stabilising APD is an essential factor in enhancing the visitor experience, air route operator confidence and tourism prosperity.

And if there are any doubts about the effectiveness of APD in hitting business and tourism air travel, look no further than the Netherlands where the Dutch government introduced an aviation tax in 2008. While it raised around €380 million, it also resulted in an 8 per cent decline in passenger numbers at Schiphol Airport and an exchequer loss of around €1 billion as travellers exiting the Netherlands crossed land frontiers to fly out of other airports. The tax was subsequently scrapped.

Assisting one of our few international air connections improves the prospects for growth in tourism – one of the few sectors of the local economy which has solid growth prospects. At the same time, the Executive needs to consider how we could increase Northern Ireland’s connectivity to the rest of the world in terms of air routes and a route from Belfast to a hub in the Gulf/Middle East region should not be out of the question.

While the long haul APD has been reduced to the short haul rate – down from £60 to £12 (for economy passengers) – it’s still more than Dublin’s €3 flat charge. And as Treasury intends to increase APD yet again in April 2012, that gap will widen further, with their recent decision conferring no benefit on airlines operating on routes less than 2,000 miles. And while this would be unwelcome for Northern Ireland, there is a wider point at issue, which relates to the principle of devolving tax varying powers to the devolved regions of the UK.

In our response to APD consultation PwC argued that a variety of essential tax varying powers, including APD, could be devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. Since such devolution would then give the Executive the option of a reduction in, or total removal of, the rate, we believe that devolution would reflect the UK Government’s current thinking in consulting on the devolution of the power to vary corporation tax.

The impact of APD on the competitiveness and growth prospects of the Northern Ireland economy is of vital importance. It should be given equal prominence with the Treasury process relating to the devolution of corporation tax varying powers and which ultimately seeks to rebalance the Northern Ireland economy. Effectively, our response argued that the Executive should look at which taxes and excise powers would be critical to rebalancing the economy and seek to have them all devolved, in precisely the same way as the Scots are responding to the proposals in the Scotland Bill.

There may be relief in the air as Westminster responds to the clear impact of air passenger duty on the Northern Ireland economy, but arguing for the devolution of that particular tax should be part of an argument for devolving the power to vary more of them.

Stephen Curragh is a partner with PwC in Northern Ireland and a specialist in the tourism and hospitality sector. He can be contacted on 028 9041 5495 or by email stephen.curragh@uk.pwc.com

An updated Infrastructure Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI3) has been drafted and approved by ministerial special advisers. However, until the Programme for Government is released it is unclear which infrastructure projects will get the green light.

ISNI2 was released in 2008 and outlined infrastructure spending from 2008 to 2018. ISNI3 is required because of the economic downturn and budget cuts and will cover infrastructure spending over the 2011 to 2015 budget period.

The departmental spending plans are a good indication of where funds will be directed.

Following the UK Government’s spending review the draft Budget allocated £5.21 billion to capital spending. This was increased by £167.4 million to £5.38 billion in the final version. This is less than half of ISNI2’s indicative spend of £13.4 billion for 2011 to 2018.

Each department began with a zero baseline and was given sufficient funding to cover their existing contractual commitments. Future allocations will be determined on an individual project basis.

Public and private sector organisations have called for the Executive to quickly publish a Programme for Government and ISNI3.

Education

Already, the impact of the austere Budget is showing. Education Minister John O’Dowd has stated that plans for new school builds “which may prove not to be viable or possible” will no longer be processed by his department. In addition, all new build projects in planning have been suspended at their current stage until a financial assessment is made. However, the ambitious £100 million Lisanelly shared educational campus is to go ahead, according to O’Dowd.

Health

Five of the 10 key milestones identified in ISNI2 were completed on schedule: the Downpatrick enhanced hospital; Castlereagh, Grove and Portadown health and care centres; and the Ulster Hospital redevelopment phase. The Enniskillen- based South West Acute Hospital is under construction, while the Andersonstown and Shankill health centres are due to open this year.

Delays have been experienced on the Gransha mental health crisis centre, which was due to be completed last year, and the Omagh enhanced hospital.

The Omagh enhanced hospital and the Altnagelvin radiotherapy unit are further priorities.

Transport

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has said that £800 million of the £1.2 billion allocated for capital spend from 2011-2015 is allocated to the A5 and the A8. Therefore, “a range of competing priorities would have to be considered for the £60 million of additional funding received for major road projects in year four [2014-2015] of the Budget period.”

Decisions on which schemes will begin in 2014-2015 will be dependent on the funding made available beyond the current Budget period and “that will not become clear until further work has been completed to develop the third edition of the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland, which is due to conclude this year.”

A spokeswoman from the Department for Regional Development said that £20 million will be made available to ensure that the £75 million Derry to Coleraine line can begin construction in 2014.

Justice

The Department for Justice’s capital allocation over 2011-2015 is £276.6 million. This will include £30 million for the new training college and £27 million for prison refurbishment, to be provided by the Executive.

Forensic Science Northern Ireland is currently housed at Carrickfergus police station since its Belfast premises were destroyed by a Provisional IRA bomb in 1992. It will be provided with a new facility.

Culture and sport

Three regional sport stadia (Casement Park, Ravenhill Stadium and Windsor Park) will receive £110 million for refurbishment. Four new mobile libraries will be provided. Local political pressure makes it hard to close branch libraries.

The Ilex Regeneration project will experience “a landmark year” in 2012- 2013, according to the Budget. It will receive £37.6 million from OFMDFM and DSD for capital works.

Sourced from departments
* £400 million to come from the Irish Government

Westminster asks for local views on aviation’s future but rules out devolving powers over flight.

Northern Ireland “will always be heavily dependent on air links” and needs good flight connections within the UK, according to a Coalition Government paper launched in March.

‘Developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation’ is the first step in drawing up a new national aviation strategy. Comments can be sent to the Department of Transport up to 30 September. A draft strategy will then be published next March and adopted in March 2013.

The Government says that the current strategy, launched in 2003, is good for growing the industry but fails the environment and communities living beside airports. Northern Ireland politicians have also claimed that the province’s needs have been ignored, despite its location.

Last year, planes from Northern Ireland’s three airports flew 22 scheduled flights within the British Isles, 21 to the rest of Europe and one direct route to the USA (Aldergrove to Newark). The province’s overall passenger numbers totalled 6.5 million; Dublin Airport carried 18.4 million in comparison.

However, residents living near Belfast City Airport have protested against increased noise and pollution. Edwin Poots lifted its cap on passenger numbers (it was two million in 12 months) in December but the decision will be challenged by a judicial review in June.

The UK’s air passenger duty (£12 short haul and £60 long haul) is far more expensive than the Republic’s €3 aviation levy, and so puts northern airports at a disadvantage.

Route cancellations and natural disruptions such as the volcanic ash cloud can affect the local economy more seriously than elsewhere.

Stormont has power over airports (as shown by the Belfast City decision) but the rest of civil aviation is reserved to Westminster. Back in 1998, ministers thought a common UK-wide approach made most sense. The obvious risk would be if Northern Ireland had different safety and security rules.

Some local parties, though, have called for these powers to be devolved so that Northern Ireland can set its own aviation strategy, and therefore attract more business.

The idea appeared in the SDLP’s 2005 manifesto; two years later the party said this should be an all-island strategy. South Antrim MLA Thomas Burns raised this in the Assembly. While Conor Murphy was supportive, he said any transfer of powers would be a long process.

However, the transfer seemed to be moving forward last May when the Conservatives and Unionists promised to consider it. The Westminster manifesto said the Assembly could “devise a regional aviation strategy in order to facilitate a more competitive and sustainable transport network for Northern Ireland.”

The end result, though, was a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and the promise was not carried over. Instead, the coalition has gone for a UK- wide rethink, something which the Alliance Party had suggested last year. The Government will not devolve aviation to Stormont but promises to “work closely” with local ministers.

“Aviation is a crucial part of this country’s transport infrastructure. It should be able to grow, prosper and support wider economic growth,” Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has said, “but we are not prepared to support this growth at any price.”

2010 scheduled passengers

Belfast International 3,517,054

Belfast City: 2,722,67:3

City of Derry: 325,159

Total: 6,564,886

Released in January, the draft Regional Development Strategy maps out how Northern Ireland is expected to change up to 2025. It follows on from a 10-year review of the first ‘Shaping our Future’ strategy, which was published in 2001 and amended in 2008. This had been the British Isles’ first spatial strategy.

“Place, where things are and where things happen, can be often overlooked in decision making but it matters to people,” it states.

The final strategy will influence the new Programme for Government, the revised Investment Strategy, and future spending

by departments, councils and the private sector. It is hard to think ahead in an economic crisis, the document admits, but the region must be positioned to make a “speedy recovery”.

Another review will be needed after the 11 new councils are introduced.

Belfast is the closest city for 75 per cent of Northern Ireland’s population, with the rest looking to Derry. If regional development is to be balanced, it must be fit into a ‘spatial framework’ identifying where development should take place outside those two cities.

Nine sub-regional centres are proposed: Ballymena; Coleraine; Cookstown; Craigavon; Downpatrick; Enniskillen; Newry; Newtownards; and Omagh.

These centres can then be clustered with smaller towns, which could share services e.g. a small hospital. Five clusters are proposed:

• Ballymena and Antrim;

• Coleraine, Ballymoney and Ballycastle;

• Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt;

• Craigavon and Banbridge (and possibly Armagh); and

• Newry and Dundalk (cross-border).

Six ‘gateways’ will provide Northern Ireland’s main connections with its neighbours and the wider world:

• Belfast (principal sea port and the City Airport);

• Belfast International Airport;

• Larne (second largest sea port);

• Derry (sea port, regional airport and road links to Donegal);

• Newry (links to Warrenpoint Harbour, Dundalk and Dublin); and

• Enniskillen (links to Sligo).

Four economic corridors can be traced out from these points:

• Eastern seaboard (Larne-Belfast- Newry-Dublin);

• Western (Derry-Omagh-Monaghan);

• Northern (Belfast-Ballymena- Coleraine-Derry); and

• South western (Belfast-Craigavon- Dungannon-Enniskillen-Sligo).

Around 40 per cent of the population live outside these settlements. Fast population growth has reversed a long decline, but the planning system is under pressure as it tries to balance this with the landscape. New technology and telecoms can help deliver services in remote areas, it suggests. Rathlin faces unique challenges, as the province’s only inhabited offshore island.

“The Regional Development Strategy provides an overarching strategic planning framework to facilitate and guide both the public and private sectors,” said Conor Murphy. “The speed and direction of change in our society and economy requires a new approach to spatial development.” The consultation closes on 31 March.

Grow Belfast’s population

Belfast’s population must grow to reach its potential. An aim of 300,000 residents by 2021 is set, up from 268,400 in 2009. That level was last reached in the 1980s. The Troubles contributed to a long decline, which has continued with growth in the commuter belt.

More housing, a stronger water and waste water network, and an efficient public transport system are vital. Some 22,000 jobs could be created over 2008-2028, mostly in services.

‘Urban villages’ would take shape in inner city areas. All Belfast’s citizens must benefit from wealth creation, it adds. Gateways into the city centre and arterial routes are seen as areas with good potential for housing development.

A strong north west

Derry’s continued regeneration could transform the city and the north west. The Ebrington Barracks and Fort George sites would add 17 hectares of development land. The city also needs 13,700 new houses over 2008-2025 according to revised indicators. An “exceptional landscape setting” contributes to its potential for tourism and the city should be “promoted as a major tourist destination in its own right”.

Transport links through the city centre must be improved, especially to make it easier for passengers to change between bus and rail. Strabane and Limavady are important service centres and both have tourism potential. The north west also has a “significant renewable energy resource” i.e. wind farms.

Cut car journeys

Reducing car use is prioritised, to tackle the effects of climate change. Eighty per cent of commuters drive to work. When neighbourhoods are being designed, shops, churches and offices etc. should be located near to homes. This would therefore encourage more people to walk, cycle or take public transport in their daily routine.

“The car may be essential for some journeys but its value needs to be weighed against impact on the environment,” it warns. New infrastructure will be needed to power electric vehicles. More energy efficiency in buildings is needed, as around 75 per cent of the current building stock will be standing in 2050.

North/South focus

“More can be achieved through collaboration than competition,” the document states. Public transport links and energy inter-connections are highlighted as two areas which can benefit North and South.

The Dublin-Belfast economic corridor should be developed as the “major driver of growth on this island” and the Derry-Letterkenny gateway can also be unlocked. The potential for a Dublin-North West corridor will also be explored.

The futures of Newry and Dundalk, Derry and Letterkenny, and Enniskillen and Sligo, are “closely inter-related”. Conor Murphy and outgoing Irish Environment Minister Éamon Ó Cuív have launched a joint consultation on a ‘framework for collaboration on spatial

strategies for the island of Ireland’ which closes on 11 April.

Links with Great Britain are “no less important” due to strong cultural and trading ties, the Moyle Interconnector and natural gas pipeline. Ferry routes between Belfast and Larne to Scotland are recognised as “key links” and Liverpool is one of Europe’s largest sea ports. Better connections would encourage tourists to travel between Northern Ireland, Scotland and North West England.

Lisburn’s potential

Five per cent of Northern Ireland’s employment growth over 1998-2008 took place in Lisburn district, a rate set to rise to 10 per cent over 2008-2028. Lisburn is “strategically located at the meeting of key transport corridors” and has a strong city centre for retail. Sprucefield is the province’s only out-of-town regional shopping centre.

Shared spaces

Integrated services and facilities must be developed, the strategy states, so that everyone has a “sense of belonging” when using them. There should be no perceived or physical barriers which stop people from going to those places. A stronger community spirit and sense of place is also needed, and could be achieved if more people took part in the planning process.

Purpose:

All cyclists would be required to wear helmets on any road or open space, if the Cyclists (Protective Headgear) Bill is enacted. It passed its second stage on 31 January but is unlikely to become law as dissolution is drawing close.

The Bill’s objective is to reduce death and serious injury amongst cyclists. From 2005 to 2010, 422 children and 213 adults were hospitalised in Northern Ireland after cycling accidents.

It was first discussed within the Assembly’s All-Party Group on Road Safety, chaired by Pat Ramsey. Around 20 responses were received during the consultation last spring. Most were in favour but some respondents questioned the evidence and said the Bill could put people off cycling.

Ramsey has therefore allowed its main section to be delayed for three years while the Department of the Environment (DoE) runs a publicity campaign, to encourage helmet-wearing.

The law would be enforced by the police but breaking it would not be a crime. An on-the-spot £50 fine would be served but this could be waived, on the first occasion, if the cyclist bought a new helmet. In the case of children under 16, the fine would be paid by the responsible adult e.g. a parent or carer.

He or she would need to present that helmet and its receipt at a police station within 28 days. Appeals to an adjudicator can be made within 21 days of the notice. Potential costs include running the penalty and appeals processes, and the proposed publicity campaign.

Australia was the first country to make helmet use compulsory, in 1989, followed by New Zealand and several Canadian provinces.

Introducing the Bill, Ramsey described how brain injuries could kill or cause long-term harm. He had no desire to criminalise anyone but wished to improve safety.

Sobering accounts were retold in the Chamber, in a debate which touched also on how the state should regulate personal choices. All participants recorded their sympathy for those injured in road accidents.

Supporters said that legislation sent out a clear message on safety, and recalled how the same objections were made to seatbelt laws. A constable “may issue” a notice, not “shall issue”, Pól Callaghan reminded members.

Objectors warned that, despite its sponsor’s good intentions, the Bill may punish the parents of careless children, irritate teenagers, take up police time and discourage cycling, as some cycling organisations claim. Trevor Lunn, though, predicted that this would not happen, as stubborn Northern Ireland citizens would keep cycling without a helmet.

Perhaps helmets should be sold at the same time as bikes, Cathal Boylan suggested. Alastair Ross said that Dutch and Danish roads were safer, without such a law. Edwin Poots praised existing road safety work and preferred improving the driving test and promoting more cycling in general.

Members narrowly divided 20-18, the ayes having it. The DUP, SDLP and Ulster Unionists allowed a free vote, although all present SDLP MLAs voted in favour. Sinn Féin took a noe line while Alliance supported the Bill on the merits of the debate.

The Environment Committee can consider the Bill up to 14 March. The Bill will fall if it does not receive its final stage before dissolution, at midnight on 24 March. An MLA can introduce the same Bill from scratch in the next mandate.

Aside from its pros and cons, the debate was a cautionary reminder of the risks that everyone takes on as soon as they hit the road.

As the Giant’s Causeway starts to feature on British passports, agendaNi finds out about their history and purpose at home and abroad.

Famous around the world as a symbol of Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway (above) is pictured on new UK passports in circulation since October.

Designs for Dover’s White Cliffs, Ben Nevis and the Gower Peninsula in Wales have also been weaved in. The main changes, though, are security upgrades e.g. moving the chip inside the front cover and including a second image of the holder on the observations page.

For the delayed plane passenger needing something to read, the British passport provides 45 momentous words.

“Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State,” it solemnly proclaims, “Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

An Irish passport carries an almost identical statement, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who makes clear that the bearer is a “citizen of Ireland”.

Officially called the ‘exhortation’, this sits on the inside front page and is probably missed by most travellers, especially those who ponder their photo. However, in an emergency, the passport holder will probably be grateful for the meaning that lies behind it.

Home Office guidance, seen by agendaNi, shows how the passport formally protects

its holder from harm, although travellers are always bound by the laws of the country they visit.

For a start, the “Secretary of State” is the Home Secretary, who is in charge of immigration and security, but the document itself is issued by royal prerogative. This has origins from medieval times.

King Henry V, better known as a general than a diplomat, signed the Safe Conducts Act 1414. Safe conducts were letters guaranteeing safe passage for his servants and were effectively the earliest passports. The modern versions first appeared in 1915, to distinguish between British and foreign nationals during the First World War.

The rest of the exhortation is addressed to two different groups.

Firstly, representatives of foreign governments are ‘requested’ to let the bearer cross their border “without let or hindrance”. This clearly refers to police and immigration officers. It is worth noting, though, that it is only a request, not a demand. Each country is ultimately free to decide who enters or leaves its territory.

Secondly, crown servants are ‘required’ to provide “such assistance and protection as may be necessary.” These servants are British consular staff based overseas. They can visit citizens e.g. in hospital or prison, but cannot offer legal advice.

Northern Ireland travellers regularly carry passports when flying, even within the UK.

Going back to the exhortation, foreign governments should let British citizens through and British consular staff must help them. Neither applies inside the UK. However, many passengers carry it as an official travel document in case of emergencies.

The story of Britain and Ireland’s passports is really one about co- operation, despite the countries’ divided histories. Of the world’s 193 countries, 75 have Irish embassies while 170 have British embassies.

British diplomats informally help Irish citizens in difficulty in 95 countries where the Republic is not represented and are often well-placed to cover the 23 others where neither country’s flag is flown. Ireland returns the favour to troubled British citizens as neither country considers the other foreign.

Transport is one of the main drivers of economic development and falls into the Investment Strategy’s network pillar which is in turn subdivided into five categories: roads, public transport, gateways, telecommunications and energy.

Some 75 per cent of the overall transport sum for 2008-2011 is for roads, with just under a quarter available for public transport and the small remainder for ports and airports (gateways).

During 2008-2011 a budget of £611.8 million was allocated for improving roads in Northern Ireland. The Department for Regional Development (DRD) told agendaNi that £496 million of this sum had been spent by 31 October, which was in line with the budget target.

Five major road projects were completed in 2009. The department confirmed that five projects were also completed during 2010:

• A1 Beech Hill to Cloghogue, Newry;
• A4 Dungannon to Ballygawley;
• A4 Annaghilla and A5 Tullyvar, near Ballygawley;
• A29 Carland Bridge, Dungannon;
• A26 and M2 Ballee Road East, Ballymena.

Two major roads projects were still to be completed at the time of press. The A2 Broadbridge dualling in Derry was still under construction but was due for completion in December. Advance ground consolidation works had been done on the A32 Cherrymount Link in Enniskillen and the project was in procurement.

Public transport

When ISNI plans were first published, £195.3 million was set aside for public

transport from 2008-2011. However, a downturn in the economy meant that the budget was adjusted and the available funding was reduced to £161 million. Already £115 million of that has been spent and the department expects that the remainder will be spent by March.

Last financial year several public transport assignments were completed. A £12 million track life extension of the line between Ballymena and Coleraine, which started in 2008-2009, was finished in March.

By the end of this financial year, a total of 228 buses will have been purchased as part of the bus replacement programme.

Some projects have begun but have not yet been completed. The department said a scheme to purchase 20 new trains for the province is “well under way”. The first of the trains is due to be delivered in 2011 and will be in passenger service by the end of that year. All 20 new trains will be delivered and in passenger service by 2013. A train care facility at Adelaide station in South Belfast and platform extensions are also planned to accommodate the introduction of the new trains.

However, an upgrade of the train track between Knockmore (outside Lisburn) and Lurgan has been delayed because of budget constraints.

Source: Department for Regional Development

Despite a tough economic situation, several projects are still being planned within public transport. An upgrade of the railway line between Belfast and Derry is due to begin in 2012. It is estimated to cost £75 million and is earmarked to be completed by 2013.

Since 2008 the department has spent £3.8 million on the Belfast Rapid Transit project. ISNI outlines plans for three routes in the pilot project stage linking Belfast City Centre and the Titanic Quarter development, Dundonald in East Belfast and Glenmona in West Belfast.

The department is currently securing external support to complete the outline business case. A spokeswoman said the business case would identify the options for Belfast Rapid Transit’s network routes, procurement strategy, operating model and fare system.

The money allocated to gateways was split between a deep water quay and breakwater at Warrenpoint Harbour (£3.6 million) and runway safety works at the City of Derry Airport (£2 million). Both of these projects have now been completed.

Each year, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) produces state of the nation overviews of infrastructure at UK and devolved nation levels. For 2010, the institution finds that the UK is “at a cross roads” as productivity growth has been held back by under-investment in infrastructure.

Indeed, Northern Ireland is at a similar “tipping point”, the marked exception being the good condition of local ports and harbours. Warrenpoint Harbour’s redevelopment is especially noted.

“We discovered that most of our infrastructure sits around a category of C, and that requires attention,” she comments.

Assessments are made on the following scale:

A Fit for the future
B Adequate for now
C Requires attention
D At risk E Unfit for purpose

Each local sector scored as follows:

B Transport
C Energy
C Flood risk management
C Water and waste water
C Waste

“The only area that we’ve made great improvement on was in transport and I think we can all see the evidence of that,” Blundell remarks, pointing to the roads investment. The key transport corridors were the main success stories but more investment was needed in the secondary road network and local public transport.

Accelerated progress on a multi-level free flow interchange at the Yorkgate junction is a key priority in the report. It serves three major corridors (the M2-M5, the Westlink and the M3-Sydenham bypass) and the ICE understands that it has the only set of traffic lights between Larne and Dublin.

Improved frequencies on Belfast’s Metro corridors have increased passenger numbers by 30 per cent over five years but trains have a “long way to go to get that up to speed”. Blundell welcomes the refurbishment of Newry bus station but also highlights a need for new train sets, from the Spanish manufacturer CAF, and investment in the Coleraine to Derry line.

Ultimately, the ICE would like to see a higher speed rail link between Belfast and Dublin. While the Enterprise is good, she adds: “If you look at a European model, 100 miles in two hours is not the best.”

According to its assessment, new infrastructure is needed as the existing track is not fit for purpose. A one-hour journey is possible, it states.

“Getting people out of their cars must be a priority,” Blundell says. “We absolutely love our cars so the idea is obviously to try to move to a low carbon economy and transport’s got a big part to play in that.” Northern Ireland is “starting from quite a low base” in that area.

The report was compiled by a panel of experts, both ICE members and also sector representatives from organisations such as NIE, the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and arc21.

Going forward, she expects the Executive to face many demands but her key message is: “Good infrastructure is essential for good economic growth for Northern Ireland.”

The spending review, in her view, reinforced that message with George Osborne increasing the UK Government’s capital spending by £2 billion per year, compared to the June Budget. The ICE also welcomes his emphasis on the low carbon economy e.g. through the proposed green investment bank.

“The model was set in Westminster. We want to make sure that that message comes across to Northern Ireland,” she suggests. However, the Executive’s capital budget has been cut by 37 per cent, on Treasury figures.

Civil engineers can do more for less, she contends. High construction prices remain a problem with the UK ranked fifth highest of the 27 EU member states: “There’s room for improvement there and our industry’s got to take some ownership of that.”

The 2010 briefing is available at www.ice.org.uk/nearyou/UK- Regions/Northern-Ireland