Traffic management plan leaves village in a jam

A traffic management plan for a large East Galway village has been described as a disaster.

Ballygar once had one of the widest main streets in the country but that was curtailed in recent years – and now Cllr Michael Connolly believes that the traffic management proposals have actually caused more congestion as opposed to alleviating it.

The Fianna Fáil councillor is now looking for plan to be revisited.

Cllr Connolly believes that the traffic controls are now resulting in larger vehicles approaching Ballygar from the Ballyforan direction having to mount footpaths in order to access the main street.

He said that he had received a large number of complaints from motorists and lorry drivers in particular who describe the situation as being ‘chaotic’.

The Moylough-based councillor is now calling on Transport Infrastructure Ireland, who has responsibility for the national roads network, to revisit the traffic calming system in Ballygar.

It comes after a large number of complaints were made to him by members of the public who describe the situation as bordering on chaotic.

He says trucks and other vehicles now have to mount the footpath in order to turn left on to the N63 coming from the Ballyforan direction.

He also says local businesses are being affected as there are now no adequate parking spaces available.

Councillor Connolly is calling on the TII to carry out an auto track analysis in the area again to make adequate corrections and relieve public frustration.

“I have never received so much representations from a cross section of people who have expressed their dissatisfaction with this traffic calming system.

“I have had representations from local business people who state their footfall is affected with lack of adequate parking for trucks and other vehicles.

“The situation is particularly bad on the eastern side of the street and traffic coming from the Ballyforan direction have to mount the footpath to turn left on to the N63.

“I have had phone calls from lorry drivers and other road users and a cross section people who have expressed their frustration with the new layout,” Cllr Connolly added.