Kill residents to protest outside KCC offices today over lack of pedestrian crossings

Residents from Kill are set to stage a demonstration outside Kildare County Council offices this afternoon Tuesday, 19 November, from 1.45pm, over a lack of pedestrian crossings for the village.

In recent weeks, concerned parents and residents have staged ‘silent walks’ in the village urging motorists to slow down and calling on the Council to reinstall the former pedestrian crossing over safety concerns for school children.

It is understood that Kildare County Council installed a temporary pedestrian crossing which cost an estimated €27,000 at the Dew Drop Inn last December before it was removed in August of this year.

Several councillors including Cllr Anne Breen and Cllr Evie Sammon have raised motions for this week’s meeting of the Naas Municipal District, calling on the Council to reinstall the pedestrian crossing for the village until a permanent crossing can be constructed.

Speaking to the Leader this week, co-organiser of the #Crossing4Kill campaign, Fiona O’Sullivan Forkan, said: “We are hoping that the councillors will get the reinstatement of the temporary crossing however one set for that junction is not adequate and can be hazardous as there should be a set of 3. We are going to the council office to let the council know we are not going away and we will continue every month until the village had been made safer.”

According to campaign organisers, the NTA has written a letter stating that it supports the installment of a permanent pedestrian crossing for the village of Kill.

Cllr Anne Breen has said that a permanent pedestrian controlled crossing is essential for the village on the grounds of health and safety, and that it should be the Council’s main priority.

She said: “The Council are continually saying that the provision of the Kill pedestrian controlled crossing is dependent on other future road developments. I do not accept this and neither do the people of Kill who are protesting.”

“The way this issue is being handled by the Council is to keep "kicking it down the road" and leaving it on the long finger with no obvious solution in sight. The people of Kill want and deserve a solution now.  The Council have to start taking some positive action now before someone is seriously hurt,” added Cllr Breen.

Meanwhile the organisers for the #Crossing4Kill campaign are appealing for motorists to be considerate of pedestrians and slow down as they drive through the N7 bypass.

The demonstration will take place from 1.45pm on Tuesday 19 November outside Kildare County Council Offices in Naas.