Speeding traffic an issue in south Mayo village

TRAFFIC calming is urgently needed in Roundfort.

Councillor Patsy O’Brien has called on Mayo County Council to carry out a safety audit in the village and implement traffic calming.

Eight thousand vehicles pass through Roundfort every week, a traffic count had revealed. But the biggest issue is the speed at which some travel.

Speaking at a municipal district meeting, he said the fastest car was found to be travelling at 109km/h, with another truck's speed measured at 108km/h.

'Ludicrous' and 'crazy' were the words he used to describe the situation, saying someone is going to get killed.

He has never received as many calls as he has been getting about excessive speed on the road, and the only thing he could see to address it was traffic calming. Unless the guards were sitting there every day people would still break the limit.

Councillor Michael Burke said he has seen the speeds being done through the village, and there are issues in other areas too, like The Neale and Kilmaine Road in Ballinrobe.

In response to his notice of motion to the council, Councillor O'Brien was told the request to complete a road safety audit at Roundfort Village will be forwarded to the Road Design Office.

It is that significant enhancement works has been recently completed in the village which have doubled up as traffic calming measures and these include narrowing of the carriageway, regularising of parking, and the introduction of a pedestrian crossing.

Senior engineer Conrad Harley told the meeting the single solution which would have an immediate affect is enforcement of the law by the gardaí.

He would raise the matter, and issues in other areas, with the gardaí, who they meet quarterly to discuss road safety.