Concerns have been raised in relation to a lack of bus stops to access a new £54 million college campus in Co Antrim.
The Northern Regional College is one of the flagship projects in the development of a large area that includes the grounds of a former British army base.
It is located next to a new £7.5m link road which was built to improve access to an area of the Co Antrim town of Ballymena, designated for new development and regeneration.
Built to accommodate up to 1,600 students, the doors of the new college campus will open this week.
It will offer a wide range of vocational, technical and professional education.
However the lack of bus stops at the new St Patrick's Link Road has been raised by the college, students, staff and politicians, with all hoping it will soon be rectified.
Northern Ireland's public transport company Translink has said the fact that there are no lay-bys or bus stops on the road means buses cannot safely take students to or from the college.
College authorities had asked planners for bus stops to be located close to the site, but that did not happen.
"We've been engaging with local stakeholders in relation to this," explains Sean Laverty, chief operating officer of the college.
"Planners, the transport people had told us that because it's a 30 miles an hour road.
"There was no intention of putting a bus stop on it, that any bus could stop on the road, let people on and off and proceed onwards."
The link road has double yellow lines along its entire length.
While planners said buses would be able stop to let students on and off, in line with Northern Ireland's roads regulations, Translink takes a very different view.
"There is currently no facility within the campus to accommodate the safe set down and pick-up of bus passengers and we are continuing to explore options to serve the NRC campus," the company said in a statement.
A number of members of staff who did not want to be identified said they were astonished by the absence of public transport provision for a college designed to attract students from across Northern Ireland.
"It is hard to believe that they planned this for years and tens of millions of pounds was spent but the planners didn't think it would be a good idea to put in a few bus stops, especially at a time where the focus is on encouraging people to use public transport," said one.
Concerns were also raised by some students and parents who attended an open day at the college last week.
The closest bus stop is around three quarters of a mile from the college.
Students or staff travelling by bus from outside Ballymena face a 20 minute walk from the town's bus and train station.
Or they could take another bus from the station to the stop closest to the college.
"We live half an hour outside Ballymena and when my son gets here I don't like the idea of him then having to walk a reasonable distance, especially in the winter months," the mother of one student said.
"I don't see why it's not possible for him to get a bus that drives along the road right beside the college and drops people off."
In a statement, Stormont's Department for Infrastructure said the road design was in accordance with relevant guidelines at the time of the planning application in 2017.
It added that the absence of a lay-by on a road does not preclude future provision of public transport services.
The college hopes the issue will be resolved.
"There will be further enhancements in this area, with a leisure centre, council headquarters, social housing, so as the development expands there will be a greater need potentially for extra transportation services in the area," said Mr Laverty.
"At the minute we're using the existing transport links that are in the town centre, but we will engage with other stakeholders to improve any transportation links for the future.
"Anything that helps our staff and students will be of benefit to the wider area and to ourselves."
