Motorists ignore ‘right turn ban’ junction change

Some motorists are ignoring the signs and continuing to turn right at the Kingston Road Junction which is thwarting a trial assessing the impact of the ban.

Since September, motorists have been banned from turning right at the Kingston Road junction when approaching from the Kingston or Taylor’s Hill sides. The changes were to be implemented for a period of three months to allow the local authority to collect data on traffic flows where lengthy tailbacks are a regular feature even at off-peak hours. Six sets of traffic counters have been put in place to record traffic data.

Anecdotally it appears motorists are regularly ignoring the signs and turning right, causing traffic to back up behind them.

But commuters who regularly use the route in and out of the city are reporting an overall improvement in journey times.

A Galway City Council spokesman said it was still too early to tell if the change would be adopted permanently and it would be well into the New Year before the data would be assessed.

Fianna Fáil councillor Peter Keane had tabled the motion for the Council to prohibit the right-hand turns on the Taylor’s Hill and Kingston Road legs of the junction between Threadneedle Road, Taylor’s Hill, Bishop O’Donnell Rd and Kingston.

The Taylor’s Hill resident told the Galway City Tribune there was universal support for the ban.

Regular tailbacks of over half a kilometre caused by being stuck behind turning vehicles on the major artery for the western suburbs – used by up to 20,000 vehicles a day – should now be a thing of the past.

“People are taking liberties and turning right but that’s a matter of enforcement by the gardaí – it’s not wholesale but it something that should be dealt with,” said Cllr Keane.

“But it is certainly working and has improved the flow through the junction, particularly at peak times. There doesn’t appear to be any knock-on backup. Nobody has told me about it anyway and I would have heard about it.”

The ban has forced drivers to find an alternative route for the school run from Knocknacarra to St Enda’s or Salerno on Threadneedle Road or those travelling from Taylor’s Hill down to the Westside. The matter will be discussed at the January 12 meeting of Galway City Council.