Limerick Council urged to ‘ramp up’ road safety measure
LIMERICK City and County Council has been urged to “ramp up” a key traffic calming measure in estates.
In a notice of motion, Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler said the local authority needs to clarify its position in relation to the delivery of speed ramps and begin a programme of installation.
“This is in light of numerous requests from concerned residents facing dangers to themselves and their children due to speeding cars,” he said.
Cllr Butler, whose motion was widely supported, said: “All most families want is for their children to be able to play safely outside of their own homes and for people driving cars to show respect for the environment in which they are driving. Unfortunately, there are always the few who don't respect it, and it takes one to cause an accident.”
He claimed the 30 kilometre per hour zones introduced in many estates are not being observed, while the council’s policy to build speed ramps upon request is not being adhered to.
“I've put in numerous requests even over the last couple of years of this term in relation to speed ramps, but nothing has been done. It's very frustrating as a councillor not to be able to deliver a service your constituents are asking for,” he said.
Sinn Fein councillor John Costelloe seconded the motion, saying: “There wouldn't be a wek that goes by we wouldn't be approached by the public to put their area in for traffic calming measures. It's very frustrating to attend meeting after meeting and request such activity with nothing coming from it.”
Cllr Jerry O’Dea, Fianna Fail, said: “It's obvious the majority of people in estates want the ramps, yet we seem to be trying to find reasons to not progress this issue. At the end of the day, we get representations from the people and it's very clear they want solutions.”
Labour’s Conor Sheehan quipped: “I think we really need to ramp up the delivery here”, but also called for a policy to be set out on delivering speed ramps at the start of five-year terms.
Green councillor Sasa Novak, however, described the focus on speed ramps as “a waste of time and a waste of investment.”
“If we focus just on the ramps as a means of reducing speed, we won't succeed. I live near a ramp, and it's made hardly any difference between braking and accelerations. You'd need to put them really close together. We must look at the bigger picture on making a residential street welcoming for people,” she said.
In response, council’s head of roads and traffic High McGrath outlined the council’s policy, saying: “The need for traffic calming measures may be brought to the attention of council officials either directly through a district office, the customer services department or via an elected member of the municipal district.”