'Dangerous and tricky' new road plan wanted at busy Laois school campus
Two Portlaoise schools serving over 1,200 children and hundreds of staff
The traffic plan at the biggest Laois primary school campus is "slow, dangerous and tricky" a county councillor who teaches there has claimed.
The Holy Family campus in Portlaoise has about 620 children in the junior school and 650 in the senior school, on top of hundreds of teachers and staff.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan is concerned at the current one way road traffic plan to drop and collect the schoolchildren. He has what he believes is a better idea in mind.
"We know there is congestion there since it opened in 2017. If you haven't left your house at a particular time, you'll spend a lot of time in your car. I'm working there this year. Everyone understands the volume of traffic is huge, but is there an alternative to alleviate it?," he asked.
He tabled a motion at the Portlaoise Municipal District December meeting asking the council to address traffic congestion and devise a new traffic plan for the Holy Family schools.
He has come up with an alternative plan.
"Cars are parked on both sides. On the left they are crossing over and back, double crossing. On the right they reverse out of angles parking spaces. It's slow, dangerous and tricky.
"Is it possible to change the one way direction to go the other way? Then instead of angle spaces, have box parking parallel to the path, so parents drop and go?"
Laois County Council say it is not their responsibility what happens inside the gates, but they can offer advice.
"What happens inside the gate is down to the school. We'll certainly look with others schools and see if improvements can be made. I'll meet the board of management and advise them," the senior engineer Paul McLoughlin said.
He explained that when Portlaoise Parish was granted planning approval, they had to submit a traffic management plan which is the one in existence.
Laois County Council is working on an overall school transport plan for Portlaoise, which is also due to get its own public bus system in February 2025.
An official reply to the motion gave some detail.
"Laois County Council and Portlaoise Town Team sustainable transport sub group are working with An Taisce and the Green Schools travel officer on a school cluster project for Portlaoise. It is expected that this scheme will positively influence the mode of travel to schools and reduce the current pressures on the road network at peak times. Laois County Council will continue to explore opportunities to reduce school related travel congestion at this location."