‘We have our own voice’ - Waterford councillor frustrated by actions of Active Travel staff

A Waterford councillor has expressed frustration at the actions of some council staff members working on Active Travel projects.

Sinn Féin councillor Jim Griffin made the comments at the April plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council.

Cllr Griffin said: “I’m a supporter of Active Travel but in some instances we have projects where members of the council staff are out there and they’re talking about the councillors agreeing with certain Active Travel projects.

“Now I agree with certain Active Travel projects but when the Active Travel [project] changes and what we agreed and what we signed off on is not actually what we’re getting, I don’t think it’s very fair that somebody is going out and saying that your councillors have agreed to this.”

He went on to say that this is not just happening in his area of Tramore / Waterford City West, but right across the county.

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He continued: “I would ask the executive to ask those members who are going out door to door looking to see if they can change Active Travel [projects], that they don’t use the councillors.

“We have our own voice. If we want to tell our constituents that we have voted for something, we will tell our constituents what we voted for and we don’t need anyone else to tell them what we voted for.”

In response to Cllr Griffin, Director of Services Gabriel Hynes said that councillors will be briefed on any changes that are made.

Mr Hynes said: “Just in relation to Active Travel, just to assure you in relation to all our schemes, we will ensure that you’re fully briefed, ideally.

“Some of them are Part 8 so they are a reserved function so they’re fully for your approval. Those that are Section 38s, we will have necessary workshops.

“If there’s any changes made, I will ensure that those changes are brought to you and you’re fully informed before the scheme commences.

“I note the comment you’re making and I’ll bring those comments back to the Active Travel team to ensure there’s no misunderstanding.”

Later in the meeting, Fianna Fáil councillor Eamon Quinlan responded to these comments, saying that changes have been made to a number of Active Travel projects without councillors being notified.

Cllr Quinlan said: “Michael Murphy from Active Travel has confirmed that there have been changes to some of the Active Travel plans so to take Gabriel up on his offer that any changes he will bring back to us, he now has to bring back and show us the current draft of several of these plans.”

In 2022, Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act was updated to allow local authorities to implement traffic calming measures without the approval of elected members.

As a result, a number of Active Travel schemes have been introduced in Waterford without the approval of local councillors.

In particular, changes made to the Farronshoneen Roundabout in Waterford city have been the subject of much controversy.

Councillors were not notified or consulted on plans to reduce the approach to the roundabout from Farran Park to one lane.

Elsewhere, part of the Tramore Ring Road Active Travel Scheme has been reduced to one footpath without the consent of councillors.

In light of these events, the Metropolitan Mayor, Cllr Adam Wyse, recently met with the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien.

He called on Minister O’Brien to abolish the current legislation that allows for decisions to be made without the approval of elected members.