Woman almost struck by HGV in Thurles as council plan parking ban on Parnell Street

Councillor Jim Ryan has raised concerns about pedestrian safety on Parnell Street at this week’s sitting of Thurles-Templemore Municipal District Council.

Cllr Ryan told the District Engineer Thomas Duffy that he received an email from a person who said they were almost struck by a HGV on the footpath. He said the incident happened on Parnell Street near Bookworm.

“She felt a gust of wind and an articulated lorry mounted the path, missed her by inches and carried on,” said Cllr Ryan.

Cllr Ryan asked if there was an update on the traffic management plan for Parnell Street.

Mr Duffy said that the plan is to remove the parking from Parnell Street altogether.

But, he said, they cannot currently prohibit parking on the street because there are not enough spaces as it is.

Mr Duffy said that later this year, the council will put forward a Part 8 to extend the Parnell Street car park.

“So there is a plan in place,” said Mr Duffy.

BONE OF CONTENTION

The banning of parking on Parnell Street has been raised and rejected on many occasions over the years.

In 2019, Cllr Jim Ryan and then Cllr David Doran put forward a motion to place a single yellow line down Parnell Street, which would prevent parking between 8am and 6pm, the Tipperarylive reported.

The motion was rejected, and other members of council felt the ongoing traffic review should be allowed to conclude before decisions were made.

However, in recent years, HGV traffic has caused some high-profile accidents and councillors and residents have called for traffic calming measures. The Thurles bypass and inner-relief road are part of the measures those in Thurles would like to see developed.

In 2021, Cllr Ryan put forward another motion for a yellow line to extend from Fogarty’s Shop to the junction at the Cuchulain Road.

However, it was reported in the Tipperarylive at the time that management told him there was no provision to do so in the town’s bylaws.

In the same report, it was reported that a draft plan to ban parking on Parnell Street was put on public display.

But parking remained available on the traffic-burdened street.