Calls for further traffic calming measures in three Offaly villages

An Offaly councillor has called for further traffic calming measures, including speed ramps, to be introduced in Cloneygowan, Clonbullogue and Rhode.

Cllr Mark Hackett of the Green Party has said that the speed in the villages can be "excessive and dangerous."

"In the November meeting of Offaly County Council I will be calling on the Council to carry out traffic analysis in those villages," he said.

"I’d say we have all witnessed dangerous incidents or near misses. What I am calling for is hard data on the scale of the problem and then a plan to address it.

"I understand that there are national guidelines which outline the suite of measures to be used in traffic calming. I am asking that Offaly County Council considers all of these measures when planning for these villages, including speed ramps.

He said that while ramps are down towards the bottom of the list of physical interventions from a design perspective, "some drivers are simply not getting the point that out safety and the safety of our children is more important that their chassis."

"Ramps are down the bottom of the list of physical interventions from a design perspective but some drivers are simply not getting the point that our safety and the safety of our children is more important than their chassis."

Mark continued:

"When I drive through other counties I am struck by how many speed ramps there are and they certainly make me think twice about the route I take. In Offaly we seem allergic to them.

"I am aware of their downsides for emergency vehicles and I’m not a huge fan of them as a driver but I know they work to reduce speed. I think they would reduce the use of our villages by Heavy Goods Vehicles who could or should be on the motorway."