Worried residents fear road tragedy
MARIAN PARK IS NOW A RAT RUN FOR SPEEDERS AVOIDING THE TOLL THROUGH TOWN
RESIDENTS of Marian Park in Drogheda are taking matters into their own hands to try and prevent a tragedy on their own doorsteps.
To coincide with national Road Safety Week, a petition and a series of protests are underway to highlight the dangers speeding motorists, buses and lorries are causing in the established southside estate.
They are calling for urgent action from the council to install speed ramps and other traffic calming measures to prevent a child or elderly person from being seriously injured or worse.
‘ There is a new generation in this old housing estate now, and we urgently need speed ramps and signs to warn drivers to slow down and mind the young children on the road,’ local resident Noel Smith tells the Drogheda Independent.
He says there may have been years where children weren’t a feature on the streets, but those days are gone. ‘Cars, buses and lorries of all size are speeding through the estate, using it as a rat-run or to avoid paying the toll, and with lots of kids out playing now from early in the afternoon, we need to slow them down.’
“WE’RE not a short cut or by pass for the toll. People live here”!
This is the message residents of Marian Park are hoping speeding motorists, buses and lorries will heed, before there is a serious accident.
Noel Smith (38) was born and raised in Marian Park, and has now returned with his own young family.
He says there may have been years where children weren’t a feature on the streets, but those days are gone.
“There is a new generation in this old housing estate now, and we urgently need speed ramps and signs to warn drivers to slow down and mind the young children on the road,” he tells the Drogheda Independent.
“Cars, buses and lorries of all size are speeding through the estate, using it as a rat-run or to avoid paying the toll, and with lots of kids out playing now from early in the afternoon, we need something put in to slow them down.”
He added that many other estates in the town have an area for children to play, and between that and the lack of safety measures, they feel forgotten.
“I have started a petition with 40 signatures on it so far, and we are all calling for the same thing; someone to take notice before an accident happens.” adds Noel.
“It’s not just children who are in danger – it’s difficult for elderly people to cross the road safely too, and there used to be some ramps, but they were too big and were removed.”
Noel is hoping to lobby some local councillors to take notice of their plight, which in turn might get some action from the council.
He says Mayor of Drogheda Frank Godfrey has been one of their biggest supporters, and hopes the petition may get the other members to take notice.
“Frank has been great and says he’ll do what he can to help us.,” he points out.
“The people who live here get no respect from drivers – there are time they won’t even let you in or out of your own house – so with the dark evenings coming up, we now feel it’s time someone took notice of us.”
Former mayor, Maria O’Brien Campbell lives locally and is also backing safety measures due to the volume of traffic in the estate.