Buses have been painted a distinctive pink colour

Transport company Translink's new Metro service began on Monday morning.

It is based on 12 corridors along main arterial roads with additional services operating throughout Greater Belfast.

The company said it would mean improved reliability and frequency. But there were delays as well as confusion over timetables in some parts of the city.

Translink had promised buses every five to ten minutes.

However, some commuters at a bus stop on the Cregagh Road in east Belfast waited 30 minutes, before two buses arrived at once.

One person said: "Typical, what's the point in issuing timetables?"

Many people have been late for work or school, missed meetings, or have had their schedule for the day completely ruined Margaret Ritchie SDLP

A pensioner waiting at another stop for more than 15 minutes said: "I thought it would be faster.

"They'll probably increase the fares soon and tell us it's because of all these new buses they're bringing in."

Another man blamed the delay on teething troubles but added that the timetable was a "wee bit shaky".

On the Lisburn Road in south Belfast, there was a gap of 13 minutes between buses at one stage during the rush hour. However, three buses arrived together at one point.

One woman wondered if buses had ever arrived at five-minute intervals on that road, because "traffic is always very busy here, no matter what time of the day it is".

At the City Hall in Belfast city centre, there were reports of considerable confusion due to a large number of stops there.

One woman said 11 people had been standing waiting for a bus for half an hour.

A man claimed: "There's not been enough publicity about the changes."

But there was good news for passengers waiting for buses in the Beechmount area of the Falls Road in west Belfast.

One observer said: "Buses were very regular. Passengers weren't waiting more than five to 10 minutes. No one had any complaints - but none of the buses were pink."

METRO'S ARTERIAL ROUTES Shore Road Holywood Road Newtownards Road Castlereagh Road Cregagh Road Ormeau Road Malone Road Lisburn Road Falls Road Shankill Road Carr's Glen Antrim Road

However, Margaret Ritchie of the SDLP said the launch of the Metro system had been "marked by chaos and confusion".

"Many people have been late for work or school, missed meetings, or have had their schedule for the day completely ruined," she said.

"Reports from people using the service have had a common theme - a lack of organisation and communication on the ground, and a huge amount of confusion not least among Translink staff."

Translink has said the new system will mean more available seats and has also pledged it will be easier to use.

'Biggest change'

The old Citybus fares are unchanged, although some Ulsterbus services incorporated into the Metro network differ.

Alan Walker of the General Consumer Council said the Metro network was a "real step" towards "punctual, frequent and value for money public transport".

He said it was a move towards "making public transport a realistic alternative to the car".

However, he called on the Department for Regional Development to work with Translink to introduce more bus lanes.

He described the reintroduction of Sunday bus services as "a particularly welcome move", but added that some passengers may be adversely affected by route changes.

"This is the biggest change in public transport for 30 years and it is not going to work for everyone," he said.

"We want to reassure passengers that we will listen to their concerns and ensure their voice is heard as we review phase one in conjunction with Translink."

In December, it was announced that almost �50m is to be spent on improving Northern Ireland's public transport system.