Transport provider Translink has picked up 12 'Gold' TIDY Northern Ireland awards, recognising the efforts of employees in building a cleaner, tidier and more environmentally friendly bus and rail network.

First launched in 2007, when three stations achieved 'Gold' standard, the 2008 TIDY Translink Awards saw 12 stations pick up the top accolade.

Awards were presented to bus and rail stations that successfully reached standards set by TIDY Northern Ireland across the following eight assessment criteria: General Cleanliness, Litter Awareness, Grafitti Awareness, Exterior Maintenance, Waste Management, Brand Presentation, Facility Enhancement and Community Involvement.

'Gold' Award Winners included: Ballyclare Bus Station, Ballymena Bus Station, Carrickfergus Rail & Bus Station, Coleraine Rail & Bus Station, Downpatrick Buscentre, Great Victoria Street Railway Station, Jordanstown Railway Station, Larne Bus Station, Limavady Bus Station, Lisburn Railway Station, Londonderry Railway Station, and Portadown Railway Station.

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Translink Chief Operating Officer Philip O’Neill said: "As a major service provider operating across Northern Ireland, we have a responsibility to respect and look after the environment of our colleagues, neighbours, passengers and stakeholders.

"Our partnership with TIDY Northern Ireland has assisted Translink in identifying and tackling local environmental quality issues across our bus and rail network."

TIDY Northern Ireland Chief Executive Dr Ian Humphreys said: "Our partnership with Translink provides an excellent platform to engage with employees and highlight the importance of environmental care. It also assists Translink in achieving objectives as laid out in its Environmental Strategy and in delivering more effectively on Local Environmental Quality (LEQ).

"We were very impressed by the amount of enthusiasm and competitiveness displayed by Translink employees who have endeavoured to improve their working environment for the benefit of the public.

"In particular, stations showed significant improvement in both the Facility Enhancement and Brand Presentation categories," he said.

(PR/JM)