Concerns over safety on busy Ashbourne road that leads to four schools

Concerned residents in Ashbourne have said it is only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or killed if speed and safety measures are not implemented on a road that leads to four schools in the town.

Residents are calling on Meath County Council and the Department of Education to install traffic calming measures on the road between Thomas Ashe Roundabout and the Ashbourne Education Campus.

Fears were heightened locally when a student was involved in an accident last week. Robert Gillanders whose son attends the Community National School believes it is time for accountability. He said:

“The number of children passing through those school gates on what are quite narrow roads that vehicles are using as a short cut through the town including double decker buses and trucks is staggering.

“The complete lack of basic safety infrastructure up to and including lollipop people, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights anywhere that children can cross the road is scandalous.

“We need proper speed bumps coming down Millbourne Avenue and also on the continuation of the road, proper places for the children to cross and lollipop people.

“These are basic things that government has been able to provide for the safety of children for a hundred years now but Meath County Council and the Department of Education don’t seem to think that the children going to school in Ashbourne warrant this fairly limited investment of cash to preserve their lives.

“These are basic things that municipalities and townlands and governments all around the world are able to provide but yet again we see the powers that be have little interest in properly resourcing the town of Ashbourne.

“It is quite a densely populated residential area with not much in the way of footpaths and we have to contend with double decker buses and trucks taking a way through the rat run.

“There has to be some accountability and someone has to take ownership of the issue because while they are bickering a child will be killed.”

Another resident commented that:

“There are four schools in the campus and even with a staggered starting there, there is a huge volume of traffic there.

“There was an accident last week on the road near the school involving a child, the child wasn’t injured but it is only a matter of time before something similar happens again and this time, they might not be so lucky.”

Meath County Council has been contacted for comment.