'We are just waiting for there to be a fatality'... Carlanstown village residents demanding urgent road safety measures

CONCERNED residents in Carlanstown held a protest on Friday last to highlight what they say is a continued lack of action on improving road safety through the village on the N52.

Residents say they fear it will take a fatality before anything is done to address the issues that sees pedestrians “taking their life in their hands” just trying to cross the road due to poor visibility and a lack of safety features to deter speeding traffic.

One of the organisers of the protest, Lorraine Smyth who lives on the main street in the village, said there has been a spate of accidents in recent months.

“There has been so many crashes outside my house from cars coming flying from the Kells road. Just two says ago there was a crash outside Centra,” said Lorraine.

“A car ended up right outside my house and I have three young kids, it is terrifying,” she added.

“There is no visibility for anyone driving up that road.”

Lorraine says children walking to school are “in danger every single day.” She added:

“Lorries are coming through the village at high speed. When you go to cross the road in Carlanstown, you look both ways and you make a run for it because a lorry could come around the bend, your life is in your hands, it is so dangerous.

“We are just waiting for a fatality to happen.”

Fellow protest organiser Geraldine McCabe of Carlanstown Montessori & Afterschool says residents just want basic safety measures in place.

“We aren’t looking for cycle lanes or anything extravagant, we just want to slow the traffic down,” she said. “ There needs to be flashing speed lights, speed ramps or basic footpaths,” added Geraldine.

“The pedestrian lights on the Ardee road are on the bend and more often not the cars and lorries go through them or have to jam on as they are on top of them before they see them.”

Despite contacting Meath County Council numerous times, no action has been taking to improve safety according to Geraldine who said:

“I contacted Meath County Council last year. I asked for clarification on what are the procedures for when someone highlighted such safety issues and I was told it was the responsibility of the TII.

“Myself and Lorraine are far from the first residents in Carlanstown to raise this issue, We don't want it to take for someone to lose their life for action to be taken.

“The children did a great job at the protest, this means so much to them. They can’t even walk to the shop safely and it is really impacting their lives.”

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East, Darren O’Rourke, has condemned the lack of accountability from both Meath County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), around major road safety concerns in Carlanstown, highlighting the urgent need for traffic-calming measures to be implemented in the village.

Deputy O’Rourke said:

“The issue of road safety in Carlanstown is a major concern. There is an urgent need for measures to be taken by Meath County Council.

“On Friday, I attended a public protest to demand that action be taken to address the road safety concerns in Carlanstown with my colleagues Cllr Michael Gallagher and Figgy Curran.

“While there, a juggernaut had to jam on the breaks to narrowly avoid a turning car, there were children only a few feet away. The smell of rubber filled the air. Fortunately, an accident was avoided on this occasion, but this is the experience in Carlanstown, day in and day out. It's not safe and that's not acceptable.

“Unfortunately, both Meath County Council and the national roads authority, the TII, continue to blame each other and fail to take responsibility for the safety of pedestrians, including children, living in Carlanstown. This is not good enough and cannot continue.

“Traffic calming measures are visible on roads in towns right across Meath. This is the solution to the dangerous situation in Carlanstown. I urge Meath County Council to implement traffic calming measures in Carlanstown without delay, before a serious accident occurs.

“In the Dáil and on Meath County Council, Sinn Féin will do everything we can to secure the necessary investment to deliver traffic calming measures in Carlanstown.”

Meath County Council has been contacted for comment