A recent sitting of Offaly County Council’s Tullamore Municipal District heard councillors raise concerns of illegal parking and speeding issues in their area.
Councillors alleged that a bus is stopping during the driver’s lunch break on double yellow lines, blocking traffic and causing disruptions.
They also argued that speeding on the Clara road and Davitt Street have presented as dangerous issues.
“Everything seems to be coming up on what the Council are going to do for traffic management and traffic-calming measures, and the gardaí have nothing to do here,” Tullamore Cathoirleach, Fianna Fáíl Cllr Shane Murray said.
“That bus is parked illegally, it’s on double yellow lines blocking cars. If he’s taking his break, it should be reported to gardaí,” he claimed.
Cllrs agreed, claiming that the bus is parked ‘in the middle of the road’.
“Driver’s behaviour can’t keep coming back to the council. The gardaí need to get those vans out, the speed checks. I think we need to write to An Gardaí Síochána,” Cllr Murray stated.
Senior Executive Engineer of the District, Mr Joe Dooley, stated that he would bring the issue to the next joint meeting with the Road Safety Authority, The Department of Transport and Gardaí.
“There’s only so much the council can do related to policy and procedure. We don’t enforce road traffic law, that’s a matter for an gardaí,” he stated.
The district Cathaoirleach argued that speeding is the council’s ‘biggest single item’ to tackle.
“We talked about it just before the meeting when we were all looking at John Dillon street. It’s a single biggest issue when you’re on the Clara road or the Rahan road, the single biggest issue is the speed of cars. Even on Davitt street,” he said.
This matter was raised at the September sitting of the Tullamore Municipal District.