Calls made for traffic calming measures in new Tipperary estate

A local councillor has raised the issue of what he considered to be the urgent matter of traffic calming measures in a new housing estate in Tipperary.

Cllr Jim Ryan raised the matter during the recent meeting of the Thurles Municipal District of the Tipperary County Council held last Monday, December 15.

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Cllr Ryan raised the issue by saying that traffic calming measures were a vital part of estate planning, and asked what was brought into consideration during the planning behind the new Dun Lea estate opened in Thurles.

He pointed out that 64 new houses had been made available, stating that this could mean roughly 120 new cars would now be in the area.

On top of the influx of cars, he pointed out that this would also increase the number of children playing in the area.

Despite this, he says, no adequate traffic calming measures have been implemented.

Cllr Ryan called for an assessment to be made into the estate, with the intention of introducing low speed limits, or possibly speed bumps into the estate.

Cllr Kay Cahill Skehan pointed out that it was up to the people driving in the area to act responsibly and accordingly while driving through the estate, although agreeing with the intention of traffic calming measures in housing areas.

Cllr Willie Kennedy pointed out that all you need is 1% of people to drive recklessly to result in an accident.

He made the point that there is little point in introducing a speed limit into the area if it would go unenforced, and stating that members of An Garda Síochána are never in the estate to be able to enforce these rules.

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He did also point out however, the importance of speed bumps, saying that they can be inconvenient, but they do save lives.

Cllr Sean Ryan made the point that quicker drivers in housing estates tend to be visitors, unfamiliar with the area, and that housing estates would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Cllr Shane Lee posed the question as to where the money for developments such as these would come from.

District engineers heeded Cllr Ryan’s point, but stated that they would need to act carefully with such measures, stating that whatever they would do in such a case would set the precedent for future developments going forward.