Child was nearly backed into by car near Kildare school
Concerns have been expressed by councillors in relation to traffic conditions in one Kildare area, which is in close proximity to a school
A Kildare county councillor said that he saw a car nearly back into a child beside a school while discussing the traffic situation near said school.
Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender made the comments while in attendance at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District meeting, which took place on Wednesday, May 20 last.
Cllr Pender’s comments were made in relation to a question that he submitted at the meeting, which was taken alongside a motion that was submitted by a separate councillor.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Noel Heavey submitted the motion, in which he requested KCC to install a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing on the road opposite the main gate of Scoil na Naomh Uilig in Newbridge ‘as soon as possible’.
The motion from Cllr Heavey, who is also the Mayor of the MD, was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Peggy O’Dwyer and taken alongside Cllr Pender’s question.
His query read as follows: “Can KCC provide a detailed timeline, background and current status update on the proposed traffic calming measures for the Rickardstown area, particularly around Scoil na Naomh Uilig in Newbridge, setting out what works are planned, the current funding position, the expected delivery date, and if interim safety measures can be put in place at the school entrance pending the full upgrade works?”
KCC RESPONSES
Replying to Mayor Heavey’s motion, KCC said via the report it presented at the meeting: “The MD Office is currently finalising plans to carry out works to the front of Scoil na Naomh Uilig with the aim of improving facilities for vulnerable road users in the area.
“The final plans will be reviewed with the school before progressing through public consultation.”
However, KCC added: “It would be premature to install a signalised pedestrian crossing in advance of the overall works.”
As for its report in response to Cllr Pender’s question, it repeated the first two sentences of the report it presented to Mayor Heavey, but included an additional sentence at the end: “The MD Office will review the area to determine if it would be feasible to install any low-cost safety measures in the interim.”
‘DANGEROUS’
Speaking further on the matter, Mayor Heavey emphasised to KCC that the traffic situation near the school is ‘dangerous’ at present.
Cllr Pender then spoke and revealed to those in attendance that he once saw a car nearly back into a child near the school.
At the time, he was discussing the region’s traffic situation with a group of parents who had children attending the school.
“Can we put in interim measures, such as a small fence or bollards?” he suggested to KCC.
Cllr Pender also expressed his view that gardaí ‘are not in a position to police the area sufficiently’ and instead urged KCC to be more proactive in attempting to resolve the traffic dilemma currently affecting the area.
Lastly, he warned that if an unfortunate traffic-related injury or death were to occur in the region in the future, then both the MD’s councillors and KCC ‘would get the blame’ for it.
PLAN
A KCC representative who was also in attendance at the meeting assured the councillors that KCC is currently developing a plan in relation to the region.
The rep also asserted that this plan would be examined via a public consultation in the near future, ‘hopefully during the Summer holidays’.
In addition, the rep remarked: “We do now want to be getting the blame for poor driver behaviour; that’s down to the parents [who are driving in the area].”
This prompted Cllr Pender to tell them: “I’m not saying we should get the blame, but the reality is this; if something bad happens, we will get the blame, whether we like it or not.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme