Bollards for Crooked St to help RNLI volunteers?
Direct route to RNLI station in Clogherhead blocked by cars
BOLLARDS on the footpaths, parking on one side of the road only or a one-way system are all on the cards for Crooked Street (Strand Street) in Clogherhead after ongoing issues with the RNLI service.
The street down to the beach is the main route for members of the RNLI to the lifeboat station.
But at times they’ve had to abandon their vehicles as cars parked in the vicinity have blocked access to the station. That even saw vehicles trapped as the boat launched and drivers having to wait until the boat returned from a call.
‘We welcome all visitors to Clogherhead - but people have to realise this is a vital road to the beach for the RNLI,’ Cllr Tom Cunningham told a recent Joint Policing committee meeting.
‘It reoccurs every year we get sunshine. I know the gardai are active but the council need to advise people of extra parking places,’ he stated.
Supt Andrew Watters said he had spoken with Sgt Ann Byrne and it was confirmed that tickets had been issued.
He suggested that bollards be placed on the road to prevent parking and that signage was needed to tell people about the lifeboat station.
‘We can’t solve this one on our own,’ he stated.
‘We can look at bollards on one side or both sides.’
He also suggested that a one-way system could be brought in to make sure the street was free for access by the volunteers.
Cllr Cunningham, who has been very vocal on the issue, said that people seemed to think they could park anywhere.
At last week’s area council meeting in Ardee, council officials said they would repaint the double yellow lines on the road.