Junction safety concerns response '˜dismissive'

Colr. Cusack said residents in the Creggan Road area will very familiar with the junction at Kylemore Park, exiting onto a busy main road.

“The railings at the exit have, for years, been a constant worry for many road users as being prohibitive to a clear view of oncoming traffic and therefore dangerous. We have alerted Transport NI about this problem numerous times over the years, and each time assured that, according to official departmental engineers, there was no problem.

“In an effort to have this issue taken seriously by DFI we appealed directly to the people who experience the junction daily, by taking to the doors with a petition asking for the railings to be redesigned or replaced with a safer version. The response was overwhelming.”

DfI responded to the concerns and petition, which included over 170 names, stating: ‘The pedestrian guard rail is installed with a visibility gap to provide visibility to motorists exiting Kylemore Park. The Department believes that with due care and attention a safe exit can be made from Kylemore’.

Colr. Cusack added: “While I consider this extremely disappointing and dismissive of the residents who took the time to record their well founded concerns, we will continue to pursue this matter to a satisfactory and safer resolution.”