‘A mistake was made with West Street. Don’t make another one now’
ULTIMATELY, they know the town better than anyone. And the simple point they are making is to defer the decision on closing St Laurence’s Gate - or face gridlock.
Kevin Faulkner of the Drogheda Taxi Federation feels closing the gate would be premature, certainly until the Northern Cross Route is completed and an alternative route is available.
He understands the history of the gate and all that surrounds that, but the reality is that the gate takes thousands of vehicles each day and that traffic would have few options to go.
‘At school time the traffic is up Laurence’s Street onto King Street,’ he states. He doesn’t know what will happen to Francis Street if it becomes two-way in sections.
And as for taxi fares, they’ll simply rise. Meters will kick in, making journeys around town much more expensive,
‘If we can’t go across Jim Garry Way as it is, we’ll have to go down Shop Street and onto Bachelor’s Lane and then on to places like Yellowbatter, Greenhills, Pearse Park and the Chord Road.
‘What’s more, many people find it hard to use their handbrake on Constitution Hill and you’ll have them rolling back onto cars. ‘ There is much more to this than closing the gate,’ he urged. Looking at the factors, he wonders what will happen to the entrance to the Laurence Shopping Centre car park if the gate is closed. Does part of Palace Street become two-way?
‘ There are wider implications and in our submission we said that the decision should be defered and leave it as it is.
‘What should happen is that a camouflaged barrier be erected in front of the gate to prevent lorries hitting it.’
He knows well the lessons of the past when the West Street pedestrianised plan was approved.
‘We went to a meeting in the Westcourt Hotel and said we didn’t want West Street touched. It was. Before we make another mistake, we need to stop and think and prevent gridlock in the town,’ he remarked.
‘Again, look at Francis Street and Scarlet Street and the implications there.’
And if the gate is closed, it will lead to people looking for other routes, with Greenhills an obvious one for many.
‘People just drive through Ushers Corner at the moment and this will become even busier.
‘It needs a roundabout here because it is so dangerous.’