Councillor Alan Tobin is putting forward an urgent appeal to the council regarding the provision of pedestrian crossings, pelican crossings, cycle routes and traffic wardens in the areas around Ashbourne’s schools. These provisions are vital because they slow down speeding traffic on the road and prioritise pedestrians, but at present, there is a serious lack of road safety facilities in various important areas around the town.
Cllr. Tobin has highlighted pupils attending the primary Gaelscoil and new DeLacy College on Castle Street to be at particular risk on the road due to the fact that there are no procedures or signage put in place to improve road safety. “The pavements and kerbs on Castle Street were designed to accommodate pedestrian crossings that have never been installed”. Cllr. Tobin explained. “At present, there is no safe place to cross the road and this is a serious issue that needs to be rectified immediately, especially now that children have gone back to school”. Pupils of St. Mary’s N.S living in Seagrave apartments, Cluain Rí and Kilderry Hall estates have also been recognised as to having difficulty crossing the main road because the nearest traffic lights are at the Johnswood or Dunnes Stores junctions.
Overall, there is a distinct lack of crossings, wardens and cycle routes around the town which has prevented the safe walking or cycling to school, giving both pupils and their parents little incentive to do so. There is also a misappropriation of the traffic warden at the Frederick Street junction outside Macari’s, where this service could be better utilised on a more dangerous section of the road, such as that on Castle Street. Cllr. Tobin made an appeal to the council in June regarding these issues but no results have materialised. He is now seeking immediate action from the council before someone gets seriously injured, or worse, on the road.
