Five projects are being prioritised in the first phase of the Park and Ride programme in Northern Ireland.

The projects are:

• Newtownards (Bus)

• Comber (Bus )

• Cairnshill, Belfast (Bus)

• Downpatrick (Bus)

• Trooperslane, Carrickfergus (Rail)

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: "It is encouraging to see that more and more commuters are opting to use Park and Ride facilities as part of their daily journey. This is good news as journey times can be reduced, traffic congestion minimised, car emissions lowered and commuters can experience stress free travel while helping to deliver a cleaner, greener environment.

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"I have considered a number of factors such as the growing demand for park and ride facilities, existing public transport provision and land availability to assist me in reaching a decision to approve the first phase of park and rides for this year. In this first phase, projects in Downpatrick, Newtownards, Comber, Cairnshill Belfast and Trooperslane Carrickfergus will be advanced. All of these projects will service busy commuter routes and when complete will provide 2030 spaces.

"This is only the first phase of the expansion of park and ride programmes for this year. I will make a further announcement about other viable projects as soon as I can. I am committed to developing sustainable transport projects, greening our infrastructure and doing what I can to drive down emissions as quickly as possible. Park and Rides will give citizens the chance to use the public transport network as an alternative to commuting, helping to drive down congestion and emissions. Together we can change the way we travel and help protect our environment. This is another step forward and I look forward to taking many more in the months ahead."