Walkers only trial on Main Street ends

July 1981

The trial period of pedestrianisation on Wexford’s Main Street has been called to a surprise and abrupt halt, following vehement objections by traders who claimed they are continuing to lose business.

In a surprise move at Wexford Corporation on Monday night, the Traffic Management Committee withdrew a recommendation calling for the continued trial run, and received the full support of councillors.

Cllr John Roche, a member of the traffic committee, said that in view of ‘immense’ opposition and in view of the inconvenience it was causing within the town, it has been decided to withdraw the recommendation and defer the trial period until a meeting was held with traders.

He reported that traders still say they ‘may be willing to accept pedestrianisation, but not in its current form’.

Cllr Padge Reck, who had previously defended the trial period, said he now supported the idea of stopping it.

He hoped that the next step would be for the committee to go to the traders and ask how many car parks should be provided to make pestrianisation acceptable to them.

Cllr Avril Doyle said: ‘we are not abandoning pedestrianisation. We are just going back to the negotiating tables again.’

The meeting between the Traffic Management Committee and the traders has been fixed for next Monday night.