Businesses & organisations are encouraged to sign this open letter, penned by Belfast City Centre Night Czar Michael Stewart, calling on the Executive Office to provide funding for Late Night Transport.
Dear First and Deputy First Ministers,
I am writing to formally request the extension of late-night bus and rail services in Belfast to operate on a 52 weekend year-round basis. As Belfast’s City Centre Night Czar, I have been engaging over the past 12 months extensively with businesses, hospitality venues, workers, and the public, all of whom share a clear and urgent need for improved night-time transport both in Belfast and beyond.
At the recent adjournment debate in the Stormont Assembly on Belfast’s night-time economy (NTE) on 3rd March 2025, brought by the chair of the Economy Committee Philip Brett, all parties present expressed their strong and total support for our NTE and the urgent need for extended night transport services. The success of late-night transport services over the Christmas period has shown that it can be viable and that it is required, with over 17,000 passengers using these services over that period in 2024, an over 50% increase since last operating in 2022.
It is evident that reliable, late-night transport is not just a convenience but a necessity for sustaining and growing Belfast’s NTE.
This should not be viewed as a cost but rather as an investment in our city and the wider region.
Translink has already made a business case for these services, highlighting their feasibility and benefits. Now, it is crucial that we take the next step to implement them. Extending late-night bus and rail services will amongst other benefits:
• Ensure the safety and accessibility of nighttime workers and patrons.
• Support businesses by encouraging more footfall and consumer confidence.
• Strengthen Belfast’s position as a thriving city with a vibrant NTE.
This letter is supported by a wide range of Belfast’s business community, with many of them formally putting their signatures behind this request. Their backing demonstrates how vital this service is to the economy and to the thousands of employees and visitors who rely on safe, affordable, and reliable transport home at night.
It is worth noting that Belfast is the only UK capital city that currently does not have a late-night transport offering.
We are awaiting the results of research into the economic impact of the NTE in Belfast and further afield. This research should hopefully further highlight the necessity and importance of late night transport. This research has been funded by the three Belfast BIDS, Department for the Economy and Tourism NI.
I urge you to take action in support of this initiative and work with Translink to ensure that Belfast’s nighttime transport services are extended permanently. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further at your earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Stewart, Belfast City Centre Night Czar
Michael Stewart is Belfast’s City Centre Night Czar, having been appointed by Belfast’s three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) – Linen Quarter BID, Belfast One BID and Cathedral Quarter BID – in June 2024 and tasking with the crucial role of enhancing the city’s night-time strategy, in terms of safety, transport, culture and business.
The Night Czar role is funded by Belfast’s three BIDs and supported by the multi-agency Purple Flag steering group, which includes key stakeholders such as Belfast Chamber, Hospitality Ulster, Belfast City Council, PSNI, SOS Bus, Free the Night and Translink.
Contact Michael
info@belfastnightczar.org
07710157692
Media Contact
g.glenny@navigatorblue.com
07535919879
