Call for pedestrian crossing for Ballyjamesduff

The need for a pedestrian crossing on the Oldcastle Road in Ballyjamesduff was highlighted once again at a recent MD meeting by Cllr Trevor Smith (FG), who raised ongoing safety concerns for pedestrians in the area.

Cllr Smith noted that “around 700 people work in Liffey Meats, hundreds of children attend AFC soccer training and matches nearby, and housing estates are located along the route”.

He revealed how recently he saw a young boy pushing his sister in a wheelchair across the road, despite there being no proper pedestrian crossing in place.

Cllr Noel Connell (SF) described the situation as dangerous due to the continuous flow of people crossing the road.

Area Engineer John McGahern said the crossing had been on the Council’s National Transport Authority (NTA) wish list for a number of years, but “unfortunately was not included in the most recently published list”.

He explained that there are no waiting lists or discretion for local councils to use different funding like with other Departments. While he agreed that a crossing - or possibly more than one - is clearly needed, he said the decision ultimately rested with the NTA.

Cllr Smith expressed disappointment at the response and asked whether further lobbying could be undertaken. Councillors were told that the NTA’s current approach focuses on reducing car usage, though concerns were raised about a perceived lack of emphasis on pedestrian crossings.