Trim cllr in call for road safety measures for south

Trim Town Council"s Cathaoirleach Trevor Golden is calling for traffic calming and road safety measures to be implemented around south Meath including Rathmolyon, Ballivor, Kildalkey and Longwood. Cllr Golden, who is also an independent candidate in the Trim area for Meath County Council, said: 'Over the past several years attempts have been made to implement traffic calming and road safety measures in areas throughout south Meath. 'Unfortunately, many serious problems still exist. In Rathmolyon, measures are needed at the main four-way junction and calls for safety measures have been ongoing for several years now.' He added that villages with long straights such as Ballivor and Kildalkey have well documented problems with speeding and dangerous overtaking inside the speed limits and that Longwood also suffers problems with speeding. 'Many of our rural national schools have little or no safety measures. Many of the people I"ve spoken to have called for measures ranging from pedestrian crossing to speed ramps. I agree completely that there needs to be measures put in place and welcome recent comments. 'Proper safety measures along with enforcement of traffic offences will help bring what is an unacceptable situation under control,' said Cllr Golden. The independent councillor is calling for a single unified strategy to speed up the deployment of safety measures and said that such a comprehensive policy would save money. 'There should not be discrepancies between any of the areas within the south Meath area. However, areas such as Summerhill and Rathmolyon must first have their roads upgraded to an acceptable level. 'There is no excuse for poor roads when it comes to safety; roads with dangerous dips and potholes cause many accidents. We must provide the basic infrastructure in place before we move to other safety measures. A complete policy will integrate road upgrades with traffic and safety measures,' he said. Meanwhile, Cllr Golden has refuted a rumour claiming he has party affiliations and said he has been an independent since he was elected five years ago and will remain an independent. He said: 'It has come to my attention that a rumour claiming I have party affiliations has been doing the rounds. While it is not unusual for such rumours this close to an election, I would like to put this lie to bed immediately. In 2004, I successfully contested the local elections for Trim Town Council as an independent. I never joined any party once elected. I have never been a member of any party at any time and nor will I.'