Notoriously unreliable traffic lights in Ballina may finally be replaced
Cllr Mark Duffy said he 'will not relent' until the traffic lights are replaced.
Ballina Independent Cllr Mark Duffy has contacted Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan about the upgrading of traffic lights in Ballina at the Font and Sligo Road, which have been plagued with faults.
A meeting was also held on May 17th last with Mayo Co Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) where it was confirmed that funding to replace the lights will be confirmed in the coming months.
Cllr. Duffy has been persistent in raising this issue over the past year over lights, which are said to be almost 20 years old.
“It’s ridiculous that it’s taking this level of advocacy and campaigning to simply have traffic lights replaced which have caused so many motorists upset and frustration over the past year.
"It shows why we need the return of town councils, return of local decision making and autonomy where issues like this can be solved immediately without having to wait for decisions to be made in Dublin.
"Ironically, the situation has been so bad recently that the traffic flow has been much better when the lights were not working.
"We are at full employment, people have busy lives with young families and should not have to suffer through continuous malfunctioning while commuting to work, school or town.
"The issue is also having a negative economic impact on the town where people sometimes avoid the area due to congestion.
"It needs to be addressed immediately. I will not relent on this until TII approve the funding and move swiftly to replace these lights."
