Concerns expressed over speeding in Mayo town

Calls have been made for traffic-calming measures to be introduced in the Springfield area of Castlebar after ongoing speeding concerns were raised at the June meeting of the Castlebar Municipal District.

Cllr Harry Barrett, who tabled the motion, welcomed the allocation of funding to address speeding in the area but said appropriate traffic-calming measures should now be delivered within a reasonable timeframe following the completion of a road safety assessment.

Describing Springfield as a "forgotten area in the town", Cllr Barrett pointed in particular to the stretch of road between the driving range out towards Lidl and Homeland.

“I am getting calls every other week about people speeding, particularly around the driving range, around Summerfield. There are young children there attending secondary school (Davitt College), and older people making their way into town. It's unacceptable,” he said.

“We have to calm the traffic. It’s a forgotten area, and it’s an area I would like to get more money spent on,” he added.

The motion was seconded by Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, who noted the issue had been raised on a number of occasions at previous meetings.

“There is a lot of speeding going on, not just in that area, but in other areas around the town,” he said. “We regularly get WhatsApp [messages] with [photos of] tyre marks on the road, and you wouldn’t get any photos of tyre marks from the Garda cars following them,” he added.

Cllr Kilcoyne said the council should raise their concerns about the area with the Gardaí and look into what action can be taken to tackle speeding offenders.

“If a few of them are caught and prosecuted now and again, it would help,” he said.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Ger Deere described speeding as a "blight all over the town" and said councillors regularly receive calls from constituents reporting dangerous driving. He mentioned Newport Road and Westport Road as particular hotspots, and said that Springfield Road is being used as a "rat run" by motorists heading towards the N5 on their way out of Castlebar.

Cllr Donna Sheridan also supported the motion, noting that €26,000 has been allocated for traffic-calming measures in the area. She said she hopes the works will be carried out soon and will improve safety throughout the area.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.