Time City Hall treats public with the respect it deserves

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column with Dara Bradley

The Transport Department at City Hall has developed a rather cavalier attitude to the public it is supposed to serve.

And it’s not just over residential parking permits, although that whole episode – which is not over yet – is indicative of a disconnect between officials and the public, and with public representatives.

That city councillors felt the need to call a special meeting and bring a Section 140 motion compelling the Chief Executive of the City Council, Brendan McGrath, to end the practice of refusing parking permits on the basis that people have driveways, says it all.

Section 140s are rarely used ‘nuclear’ options for elected members when they feel other efforts at solving issues are being frustrated.

The bould Brendan may be proved right in his assertion the motion was “invalid”, but to paraphrase Cllr Mike Crowe (FF), how did management let it come to this, by ignoring advice and the will of elected members?

The cavalier attitude is also evident in relation to legitimate questions. This newspaper asked recently whether the Council’s new bicycle parking infrastructure needed planning before being installed. A “stupid” question, apparently, according to a Council spokesperson. (For the record, no, they don’t require planning permission).

There was no certainty given either as to why certain locations for the bike infrastructure was chosen.

Bike racks are great and welcome and we need more, but are they part of a thought-through plan to encourage people out of their cars, or is the Council just plonking them anywhere there’s a bit of space, to placate the cycling lobby, as they plough on with the city’s bypass?

Here’s another example of the Transport Department treating the public with, to put it mildly, not a lot of respect.

It appears to be unofficial policy for some time now, that the Council no longer flags in advance roadworks, or road closures. There was a time when the travelling public was kept informed of any potential delays and disruption, but, alas, no more. Road works commenced at Upper Dominick Street on Monday, where there were lane closures at night to facilitate Gas Networks Ireland. The Council had to be prompted into confirming that letter drops took place to some businesses and residents last Friday – but the general public who use that street to traverse town, wasn’t informed.

Ditto at Headford Road inbound, where there were lanes closures and a closed bus lane at night to facilitate gas works. The closures had the potential to be quite dangerous for motorists approaching who are unaware of them.

This area “is non-residential”, the Council said, and so there were no leaflet drops but “Dunnes’ in Terryland were informed about the works”.

Asked why the public was kept in the dark, the Council said: “Lane closures are generally not advertised unless the works have the potential to cause significant disruption.”

Manners costs nothing, and neither does an advance press release to newspapers, or a social media posting, about impending traffic disruption, no matter how minor.

For more Bradley Bytes, see this week’s Galway City Tribune