Councillor frustrated at delay in installing speed signs

A councillor has claimed the roads section of Mayo County Council “doesn’t give a fiddlers” about the safety of road users in Crossmolina.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Michael Loftus made the remark at the December meeting of Ballina Municipal District when he called for the installation of speed sign monitors on the N59 Ballina Road at Crossmolina Deel Rovers GAA pitch and on the Bellacorick/Bangor Erris Road.

Cllr Loftus said “it speaks volumes” that the people of Crossmolina have been waiting over three months for the signage to be put up.

“The speed of cars coming in the road is crazy. The static sign is not up over three months later. The roads section goes home at 5pm. They don’t give a fiddlers about Crossmolina."

Area engineer Orla Bourke said there is a lot of work to get through when putting up this type of signage. Speed surveys at both locations had been completed and the council's roads design office is currently preparing a design report for submission to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to agree sign locations. Once this is agreed, the installation of the signage may proceed, she explained.

Cllr Loftus said it was still difficult to accept that locals have been waiting so long to get this work done.

Ms Bourke said it is a help to have speed vans in place at the GAA pitch in Crossmolina, which came about as a result of Cllr Loftus’ lobbying.

Meanwhile, in his end-of-year address of the meeting, Cathaoirleach of the Ballina district, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly, urged the public to be responsible and safe on the roads this Christmas.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.