Petition to open second exit at schools campus amid safety fears

Grave fears for the safety of the 1,500 children attending the Johnstown School campus in Navan has prompted a local principal and parents council to launch a petition for the exit on the old Johnstown Road to be re-opened to alleviate the traffic chaos each morning.

Principal of St Stephen’s NS, Jenny McHugh, has been calling on Meath County Council to allow them re-open the gate on the L5050 so that school traffic can enter via the existing gate and leave via the L5050 to ease the gridlock currently experienced at school times.
She warned that there is already traffic chaos and this is set to get much worse when 300 houses being constructed in the Dunville estate come on stream while another 400 are being built in Cois Glaisin. “We want this resolved before it gets a million times worse.
“At the moment the campus has just one entrance and exit. There is traffic chaos every morning with a big line back to the roundabout at Supervalu and back to the Kentstown Road. There are 700 houses currently being built which will increase traffic even more.
“The Dunville exit is at the school gates. This will block up our entrance even more.”
Ms McHugh said the reason they launched the petition is for the safety of the children.
“The council is telling us they can’t let us exit out that road because it has be upgraded which we were told will cost €3.5m. The money is there from development levies. There are 300 houses being built in Dunville alone and at €15,000 per house that is €4.5m. It is about time that they gave some of the money they are getting from Johnstown back into the Johnstown.”
Ms McHugh also highlighted a worrying incident where an ambulance had difficulty accessing the school before Christmas because of traffic and she pointed out that the time of day it happened wasn’t as bad as it could have been. They want the emergency services to have access to the gate On L5050 if needed.
“A few years ago, the council told us they would consider giving us an exit only but nothing ever came of it. With all the increased traffic on top of the present gridlock something has to be done. This is a serious issue. It is a safety issue and an issue Meath County Council has to resolve. We are fed up with this issue being ignored. We are doing this for the 1,500 children who use the campus. They needn’t be fobbing us off that they have no money. They have the money,” concluded Ms McHugh.
The petition is available online here.