Meeting held to address concerns about speeding in Summerhill
Concerns about speeding in Summerhill and the urgent need for the replacement of the school traffic warden were among the issues discussed at a residents' meeting on road safety in the village last week.
Ben Van Heerdan, chair of the local traffic calming committee, said the main aim of the meeting was to make residents aware of the necessity to report all incidents of dangerous driving to An Garda Siochana which will highlight the issue they see every day in the town.
He outlined that another major issue raised at the meeting was the retirement of the local school traffic warden for Dangan Primary which has left the school without assistance and he said this has now become a top priority for residents.
"As recent as last week, a young school girl was almost hit by a speeding motorist and this was witnessed by many members of the local community. If it wasn't for another young child who assisted the girl, we could be facing the unimaginable. These are one of the most vulnerable in our community and temporary assistance should be arranged immediately until a permanent replacement is sourced."
He said all councillors took note and promised something will be done about a replacement as a matter of urgency.
Other traffic calming measures that have been undertaken in Summerhill were also debated at the meeting, with some feeling that the ramps at Meals on Wheels provide no purpose and that motorists avoiding them is causing increased traffic along Langford Cottages. It was also commented upon that the ramps at the school are causing more of concern than a protection.
Cllr Aisling Dempsey who attended the meeting said: "As always it is a pleasure to meet with the Summerhill Transport Committee and with the community of Summerhill. They are always constructive in their criticism and open to ideas/debate.
"The new signage on New Road and the speed sign are small but significant changes that we hope will change drastically driver behaviour in this area.
"Once legislation is enacted in this quarter, the council can undertake their own speed review across the county. This together with Garda enforcement are the keys to reducing deaths on our roads"
Also in attendance was TD Johnny Guirke from Sinn Fein along with new local election candidate Aoife Drew.
Deputy Guirke gave an update on the speed monitor sign requested for New Road. This has since been installed just before the surgery and is much welcomed by Dr Clarke and the patients of Summerhill Medical Centre.
Cllr Trevor Golden provided advice to the residents and highlighted a new Garda App that is due to be released in 2024 which will allow the public to upload details of driving complaints for the Gardai to review and take action.
Cllr Joe Fox provided an update on National Speed Review and said that a design is underway for the town and that this can be reviewed when the speed review launches around April.
A special word of thanks went to the Road Safety Authority for providing a number of hi-vis vests which were distributed at the meeting.
The meeting was also told about an upcoming road safety presentation 'The Lifesaver Project' to be given by Garda Olga Bacon with a date to be confirmed.
This presentation is being rolled out and delivered across the country in an effort to emphasise the devastating impact of poor driver behaviour on our roads. It will be open to over 16's and the committee is encouraging all residents to attend.