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(From The Lawyer)
The effects of a sustained period of underdevelopment in Northern Ireland look set to be reversed with a GBP16bn infrastructure overhaul. Lisa Boyd reports
For many years the politicians of Northern Ireland have avoided the 'bread and butter' issues and focused on more sensitive topics such as violence, policing and power-sharing.
This, together with long-term underinvestment, has left Northern Ireland the legacy of a deteriorating infrastructure. Now, as the violent pictures of the last few decades fade and the deadline for devolution fast approaches, public policy seems to be focusing on the local economy and infrastructure. The Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI) sets out an investment of GBP16bn over the next 10 years in more than 300 projects. The long-term aims of the ISNI are to address the infrastructure deficit and to promote economic growth.
Transport
At the start of the millennium Northern Ireland's public transportation system was failing. Buses and trains were old and unreliable and, as a result, passenger numbers remained static. In December 2000 the Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA) funded Translink, a state-owned company, to purchase 23 new trains, which came into service in June 2005. February 2005 saw the introduction of the new Metro system, with new buses, routes and timetables. As a result passenger numbers have increased by more than 30 per cent.
Over the next 30 years GBP25m is to be invested annually in updating facilities and services. There are also proposals for a rapid transit network in Belfast that would service the Titanic Quarter area of the city.