Magee College neighbours appeal for long-term solution to traffic and parking nightmare

Jim Kelley, chair of the Aberfoyle & Duncreggan Residents' Association, said cars have also been damaged and elderly people and young mothers forced onto the road because of illegal parking.

"Anybody pushing a pram or wheelchair struggles. I've seen elderly people with sticks having to walk out into the road because they can’t get by,” he said.

An elderly resident of Aberfoyle said: “I have carers three times a day and they can't get in. They are parking 250 yards away and walking up and their time is halved when they come in.

“My family are coming up and they can't get parked here. We know of someone whose car was hit when it was legally parked on the street outside their parents’ house.”

The man, in his 80s, said Duncreggan Road is no longer a two-way street.

“You are trying to stay inside the white line and watching cars coming down. You are concerned about them hitting you with the wing mirror. You have no alternative but to stop,” he said.

Another resident said: “We have students that come and park their car outside your property on a Monday and the car does not move until a Thursday or Friday when they go back home meaning you can't park outside your house for days, possible a week.”

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan said: “The saga of inconsiderate often dangerous parking along the top of Duncreggan Road has been a bugbear for many over the years and is an issue which I’ve pushed to resolve.

“The situation has reached boiling point in recent weeks with students returning to Magee University which has resulted in an influx of cars parking along this route.”

He said enforcement patrols were increased and DfI Roads agreed to install double yellow lines on Duncreggan Road after he raised the matter.

Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy said: “We have secured double yellow lines outside the entrances to the Magee student village and the car park on Duncreggan Road on 10 metres either side.

“This is necessary, not just during the student week but when people are using the pitches on a Sunday.”

Ulster University reported high demand for its car parks during the first semester.

"We have staff on the ground who direct students to alternative off road university car parking on the nearby Duncreggan Road when required, however, the demand decreases after the initial busy period at the start of term and monitoring of the occupancy figures indicates that there are adequate spaces available to meet the demand,” the spokesperson said.

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UU added: “We are actively collaborating with Translink and DfI to further enhance public transport and active travel access to the campus. Our goal is to reduce the carbon footprint associated with commuting to the Derry-Londonderry Campus and to make sustainable transportation options more accessible to our university community.”

Dónall Ó hÉigeartaigh of UU Students' Union, said: “We believe that the solution to this problem is dedicated investment in sustainable, affordable public transport coupled with adequate provision of car parking spaces for students and staff.”

Mr. Kelley called for ‘long-term solutions’.

“This road is the designated way for students. There are 580 in the village, coming back for lunch and back to College again. That's over 2,000 footfalls in a day,” he remarked.

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