Parking on footpath ‘is an offence’, senior garda says

Cllr Mick Dollard raised the issue of traffic management at St Coleman’s National School in Mullingar at last week’s Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting.

“There’s an ongoing problem at St Coleman’s school on the Delvin Road,” said Cllr Dollard.

“You have motorists driving up on the footpath. I’ve been in touch with the area engineer in Mullingar, who advised me it’s a garda matter.

“I would like to see this dealt with before there’s a fatality at that location. Late last month there was a near fatality,” he added.

“People driving cars right up on the footpaths is impinging the sightline of young children,” argued Cllr Dollard.

“I’d like to see the garda Traffic Corps going up there and if necessary, to actually ticket these motorists who are parking on the footpath.”

Chief Superintendent Peter Duff agreed that “parking on footpaths is an offence”.

“It is an a very antisocial offence – as you correctly pointed out, it impinges on the children coming and going from school.

“But if you’re coming and going from school and you are mobility impaired, in a wheelchair, or somebody is pushing a pram, they actually have to go out on the road which is another danger in itself,” said the chief superintendent.