Action has been called for to tackle motorists who are travelling through a Laois village at ‘absolutely crazy’ speeds.
At a recent meeting of the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District, Fianna Fail Councillor Padraig Fleming raised the plight of Ballickmoyler.
He called for road radar signs to be installed as cars are speeding in both directions from Arles and Carlow on the N80.
Cllr Fleming said: “People are very afraid there will be a fatality.
“There have been accidents there and some near misses, where people felt very afraid. Cars are flying through the village, from the Arles side and the Carlow side.
“They are coming very fast. The speed sign as you come in is 50kph but a car was clocked recently at 87 and it kept going into the village, which is absolutely crazy altogether.”
Cllr Fleming asked Laois Co Council to call on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to provide traffic calming measures on both sides of the village, to include speed radars and additional road markings.
In a written response, senior roads engineer Paul McLoughlin said the council would carry out speed assessments on the N80 approaches to Ballickmoyler, which would inform their discussions with TII regarding traffic calming measures.
Cllr Fleming felt the Council should instead go ahead and put up speed radar signs immediately.
He said: “There have been accidents and near misses, a bit of injury and frightening situations.
“We need safety in that village and we need these radar signs to go up fast, but with this answer it won’t happen.
“This is an urgent issue. It’s the only village on the N80 that hasn’t been looked at. It’s the last to be done and it should be moved on as fast as possible.”
He was supported by Cllr PJ Kelly, who said he regularly travels through the village on his way to GAA matches and the issue needs to be addressed.
