Giant pencils appear at Laois schools to stop parents parking
Funsized giant pencils have popped up outside two Laois schools, but for a very serious purpose this September.
In Abbeyleix and Mountmellick, Laois County Council has installed the eyecatching bollards to prevent illegal parkers from creating dangerous traffic situations.
The schools are Scoil Mhuire NS on the Ballyroan road in Abbeyleix, and the campus of St Joseph's girls NS and Scoil Phadraig Naofa boys NS on Davitt Road in Mountmellick.
Both are on residential roads, where parents were in the habit of parking on the footpaths at school times.
In Abbeyleix, the road safety works will include new footpaths, a number of speed ramps and a zebra crossing. The works will start near the golf club in Abbeyleix and finish down past the town side of the school.
Cllr John Joe Fennelly in Abbeyleix said the works "will take getting used to".
It's a fantastic job. When it's completed it should be very safe. There will be a pedestrian crossing near the Heritage House where parents can park, and it will provide a safe place to cross.
He said that complaints had been made about cars parking at houses along the road.
In Mountmellick, a local resident said that more work is needed to make the road safe.
"They could improve it more to protect people. The yellow boxes need to be repainted. People are still parking up along Davitt Road. We would just ask people to be mindful and park in the carpark in the school, to ensure traffic can flow safely. It only happens at peak school times. We could do with more signage so people are more aware," the resident said.
Works at both schools are still underway.