Shopping centre bollards latest to come under fire
BRAY’S love/hate relationship with the bollards installed last year on the Main Street continues, following Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady’s call for a review over concerns the plastic bollards have only added to the traffic congestion in the town.
The intent behind the installation of the bollards was clear, with the need to protect cyclists, scooterists and pedestrians using Main Street, and to keep cars from mounting footpaths. They were rolled out following the successful introduction of the Bolt e-bike scheme in Bray, which went on to become on the bike-sharing operator’s most successful locations to date.
Their purpose was also to encourage people in the town to use bikes, both electric and manual, and to make it safe for them, as well as pedestrians on footpaths, given the vulnerability of pedestrians compared with car users.
However, while Deputy Brady said the purpose of bollards to create a segregated cycle track, “in principle this is something that we support”, he added: “This should be done only following a detailed survey on feasibility of installing them and ensuring that it can be done without having a serious impact on the safety of other road users.
“It is important to ensure the safety of cyclists and the creation of segregated cycleways do this, however there are other ways to achieve this, and these must be explored.”
Social Democrats candidate for Bray, Aaron McAllorum, has waded into the argument over the feasibility of the street’s bollards, while also querying the need for them at the Bray Central shopping complex.
A freedom of information release indicates that the bollards installed on Bray Main Street in 2023 were done so at the request of councillors to protect cyclists from motor vehicle traffic.
The bollards were purchased from a company based in County Kildare for €5,461 in May 2023. No independent road safety audit was carried out.
The information was provided by request to Mr McAllorum. Commenting on the information provided, Mr McAllorum said: “Fundamentally, I have no objection to the provision of segregation in a confined road space, it does provide an aspect of comfort and safety for those using the cycleway.
“The issues brought to me were from some business owners in the town stating that they are having difficulty in accepting inbound stock and so on, [while] some traders informed me that no consultation process was undertaken.
“I also contacted the County Fire Head last November in order get its views on the installations from a health and safety perspective in the context of blue light service response times – I have not received a response to date. Communication from the Municipal to stakeholders should have been far better on this matter,” he said.
Separately, Mr McAllorum has also queried the need for a neat trio of bollards which are fixed to the ground in front of two shops at Bray Central.
The bollards have been installed at the base of shallow steps, but he said that as yet their purpose has not been confirmed.