Fine Gael TD for Cork East Constituency, David Stanton, believes that measures to alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic flow in Ballycotton should be explored as the volume of traffic passing through the Main Street of the village has increased in recent times, and in particular, during the current Covid-19 restrictions.
Speaking on the possibility of introducing traffic control measures in the village, David Stanton said: “The section of the R629 road which constitutes the Main Street of Ballycotton village has long been a problematic area for traffic jams given its long, narrow nature. The street is the main thoroughfare to Ballycotton Pier and Cliffs amongst other attractions and while traffic congestion is usually evident during the summer months it has become particularly serious in recent times as more people holiday locally.
“A number of local residents have been in contact in relation to access to Ballycotton village and have raised legitimate concerns regarding the potential implications that traffic congestion could have on emergency vehicles trying to operate in the area. I have previously raised the possibility of additional measures and I understand that a number of proposals were discussed however, the matter needs to be examined again.
“Given the potentially worryingly implications that could arise as a result of tailbacks through the village I have spoken to local members of An Garda Síochána and senior officials in Cork County Council regarding potential measures that could be introduced. One possible solution I have suggested, and which could be explored further, is the introduction of one or more sets of traffic lights to facilitate single flow traffic through the Main Street.
“I have seen such a system in operation in other villages with similar problems and it seems to work well. I have asked Cork County Council to assess the feasibility of introducing such a proposal, if even on a trial basis initially, and I will continue to liaise with them on the matter”, concluded David Stanton.
