Courtesy crossings are now ‘a safety hazard’

Dozens of courtesy crossings installed in towns around Mayo in recent years are becoming a safety hazard, according to local councillors.

Highlighting the issue at last week's meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Gerry Coyle said he had been seeking raised traffic calming measures to slow down traffic along the N59 in North Mayo but had only been given a courtesy crossing.

“The only way to slow traffic is with speed bumps but what we have is a courtesy crossing and I think in some ways they are dangerous because motorists don’t have to stop at them."

Cllr Coyle said more efforts needed to be made to promote road safety and people must be forced to wear high-viz jackets. 

“I see people even on a fine evening, maybe they have only a few hundred metres to walk, but it could be at dusk and people are under the illusion that cars coming can see them. That is not the case and it should be a rule that nobody goes out to walk on the roads day or night without a reflective jacket. The law simply has to change because we have these awful tragedies we hear about every day in the news."

Cllr Brendan Mulroy said problems with courtesy crossings were ongoing, noting that the one at Altamont Street in Westport was "not fit for purpose”. 

“They are highly dangerous. You could be driving along and someone just walks out in front of you, left, right and centre. People have been knocked down and badly hurt. They are walking around with headphones or mobile phones to their ears and this is problematic. I had one person on Bridge Street, to let them across I would have had to slow at the courtesy crossing but then a car coming up the other lane nearly takes them out. We need to get them working right.” 

Cllr Mulroy also highlighted poor road surfacing at Barrack Hill in Newport, saying: “It is a total disaster of a road surface the whole way up and it is a busy road because it is amazing the amount who go up to see the Harry Clarke stained windows in the church there.” 

However, he was informed by management that no road resurfacing would take place on the route until the current redevelopment works in the area are complete.

The manager of the district Seamus Ó'Mongáin said that all issues raised would be looked into. It was noted that plans for the introduction of 30km speed limits in urban areas are expected to contribute to slowing down traffic.