Commuter Belt

Prof Sue Christie, Director of Northern Ireland Environment Link, umbrella body for environmental non-governmental organisations.

How do you travel to and from work? By car with my husband from Lisburn to Belfast City Centre.

How long does it take (to get there, to get home)? Usually about half an hour although it can take considerably longer, depending on what time we leave.

What time do you leave home? Usually 7.15 a.m.

What time do you arrive back home? I leave the office at 4 p.m. and walk for two and a half miles to meet my husband, who drives us home to arrive there at about 5.30 p.m.

Do you travel the same route every day? Yes. We live in the countryside, so we travel along the back roads, avoiding the motorway. Our route takes us along Hillhall Road to Shaw's Bridge and down the Malone Road into Belfast City.

What do you enjoy about your commute? Not a lot, although the countryside scenery is very pleasant. I enjoy our conversations on the way to and from work. It is also nice to commute to work in a car without having to drive.

What bothers you most about your commute? The traffic. The driving standard is phenomenally bad with people tailgating and passing out where they shouldn't. This is stressful. Also, the lack of a public transport option. I live three miles from Lisburn, but even if I went there by car to take a train or bus, there aren't enough parking spaces in Lisburn to leave your car, and the service isn't very reliable.

Would you change your mode of transport if you could? Yes, if there was an efficient and frequent bus service I could rely on.

How could your journey be improved? If there were more park and ride facilities both for commuters who travel by train and bus and those who wish to carpool. There is a need for an integrated mechanism for car-sharing. An informal one exists in which car-poolers park their cars on the verges of the roundabouts on the M1. Having two or three people in each car instead of one would have a great impact on traffic.

• In conversation with Sylvia Thompson
• Send traffic comments to e-mail: trafficgripes@irish-times.ie or write to Traffic Gripes, Features Dept, The Irish Times, 11-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2