Drivers are travelling at a higher speed and more erratically since restrictions have eased, an Ennis representative has claimed.
Speaking at the July meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) shared his concern that motorists had adapted bad habits since returning to the roads in greater numbers following a series of lockdowns. “The speed that cars are travelling at is higher with people back on the road since the lockdown,” he also remarked that drivers were more erratic behind the wheel.
He appealed to the Ennis MD to complete works over the summer school holiday period “to reduce the current road safety hazard being experienced by Doora National School going children due to both speed and volume of vehicles at that location, and that the works would also address the winter localized flooding at the location which at times forces children out onto the road carriageway”.
Senior executive officer, Eamon O’Dea said contact would be made with the school to “identify their safety concerns”. He added, “Doora National School made a submission to the NTA funded school works programme but were not listed for work in 2021. There is a new methodology for this funding via the Green Schools programme and the NTA. The Ennis MD will seek the information submitted by Doora School and see if assistance can be provided”.
During the school term, 100 vulnerable road users are entering and exiting the school each day, Cllr Flynn commented. “The speed and volume of traffic is very significant”.
Parents have raised worries with the speed in Doora with Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) who also shared similar complaints from Knockanean. “People say tractors are going at an awful speed on the road, tractors can’t go that fast, it is just they are big vehicles on narrow roads. If there are speed issues, people should be contacting the Guards because it goes down to enforcement”.
Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) was hopeful progress would be made while Cllr Pat Daly (FF) noted it was a backroad to Quin, Manus and Clarecastle, “it is a busy road”. “When we start to do our speed evaluations, we need to push for a 30km/h limit outside all schools in the county, rural and urban,” Cllr Mary Howard (FG) maintained.
