Council seeking more cash from Government for speed ramps

This was the view of Galway County Councillors who voted unanimously to write to the Department of Transport requesting more funding for speed bumps in urban areas.

The motion — proposed by Councillor Michael Regan (FF) — was backed by colleagues of all sides, with Councillor Declan Geraghty (Ind Ire) praising it as the best motion he had seen come before Galway County Council.

Councillor Regan said that “most car users are ignoring speed limit signs, slow down signs and school signs”.

Speed ramps installed in built up areas, would “make our villages and towns safer”.

Central government needed to provide additional funding to Galway County Council ‘as a matter of urgency’ so it can roll out this road safety measure, he said.

“We cannot expect An Garda Síochána to be at every town and village and they do not have sufficient staff.

“It’s only a matter of time before we have a number of fatalities in our towns and villages and I ask Galway County Council, in the interest of safety, to provide speed ramps,” said Councillor Regan.

The motion was backed by all councillors and forwarded to the Department of Transport.

Councillor Tomás Ó Curraoin said speeding was a huge problem in Bearna, Na Forbacha and all along the R336 in Conamara.

“We’re getting flak about it — ramps would do the job,” he said.

He claimed cars were “flying it in Cois Fharraige” and motorists took “no notice” of speed limit signs.

The motion from Cllr Regan came following a high-profile grassroots campaign from school communities in Bearna, Na Forbacha, An Spidéal and Indreabhán earlier this year calling for safety measures outside schools.

It’s expected that these campaigns will ramp-up again in the coming weeks as schools settle back.

Councillor Noel Thomas (Ind Ire) said the impact of signs outside schools wears off, and motorists through Maigh Cuilinn were ignoring warning signs installed there.

Councillor Dermot Connolly (SF) remarked that he had been at a Wolfe Tones concert at Thomond Park in the summer and the speed ramps in the residential areas surrounding the venue provided a physical impediment to speeding motorists.

Pictured: Children in Na Forbacha pictured at one of a series of protests demanding better road safety in South Conamara earlier this year.