City centre gridlock on Derry's lunchtime menu

Derry suffers from city centre gridlock every lunchtime according to Declan Moore, the owner of Claude’s café at the top of Shipquay Street.

Declan was adamant the daily traffic jams, which he attributed to the one-way traffic system along Carlisle Road and Ferryquay Street, combined with the “hideous” street furniture in the Diamond and Bishop Street, were being exacerbated by increased on-street parking in the area.

Complaints have been made recently to the Department for Infrastructure about the problems which have resulted from the unregulated parking of vehicles along both sides of Bishop Street.

However, Derry News understands it may be more than a year before double yellow lines are painted there, to rectify the situation.

A clearly irate Declan said: “The one-way system in Ferryquay Street is crazy. The ad hoc furniture outside Austin’s, like a jumble sale, is crazy. The nature of the street furniture in Bishop Street is crazy. And now, to add insult to injury, motorists are parking alongside the street furniture.

“I am incredulous that the Mayor and the City Centre Manager sat outside up in Bishop Street with tea cups, when no-one was consulted about the imposition of this furniture.

“No-one came along and said, ‘We are going to make all these radical changes to the city centre, what do you think?’ City centre traders of long-standing were not invited along to any meetings to discuss the proposals.

“People are now inhibited from driving into town and it was so blatant that we got double yellow lines painted outside Claude’s so now, I can’t even stop outside my own premises. We have to get women who work here to hump stuff up and down Shipquay Street. It is bizarre,” said Declan.

Declan said discabled parking and e-parking spaces had been removed “without a word”.

“This city centre ‘scheme’ is not capitalising on the potential of the area. We do not need street furniture in the damp, dingey corner of the Diamond outside Austin’s.

“The disabled parking spaces should have been retained and the part of the Diamond outside Richmond Chambers, which is actually in the sun, on the days we get sun here in Derry, could have been used instead. This would also have meant a level playing field for businesses in terms of city centre street furniture.

“I have spoken to the traffic wardens and National Car Parks (NCP) do signs and lines. This means anyone can now park directly adjacent to this seating, on the left hand side of Bishop Street, from the junction where Bishop’s Gate Hotel is, right down to the Turkish barbers on the corner.

“And no-one can do anything because there is no Stormont. There is no legislation. Leaving aside the street furniture is, in my opinion, hideous, it is only a matter of time before somebody gets hurt. If a child sitting there suddenly darted out, I don’t even want to think of what might possibly happen,” said Declan.

Declan said people were driving across London Street and down a blind corner.

He added: “Who decided this was the way our city centre was going to be? Is this temporary or permanent? How many people are using the street furniture because anytime I pass it is empty?

“I agree in a lovely utopian world, outside seating would be fantastic but in Derry, I’m not so sure.

“We need a joined up approach. Designers and decision-makers should have spoken to traders who have been here a lifetime. Things should not be imposed on us.

“As it is, lorries are frequently being parked on either side of Bishop Street. What is supposed to be two-way traffic is reduced to one-way. Every lunchtime, the gridlock in the city centre is mental.