Bishopsgate Street crossing being reviewed following incident

Investigations are to be carried out on Bishopsgate Street with a view to upgrading the zebra crossing to a pelican crossing following an incident involving a school pupil and a car last year.

Cllr John Shaw called for an examination of the crossing at that location at the January meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

The Raharney man said the infrastructure needs to be reviewed there, in terms of the structure and signage at the crossing, and said a child was knocked down there last October.

Cllr Bill Collentine agreed and said the public lighting also needed to be reviewed there, as it seemed to almost a black spot for drivers at night time.

Director of services, Martin Murray, said preliminary examinations indicated that the road markings and advance warning signs were suitable to the location.

In response to Cllr Shaw highlighting the November accident, Mr Murray said both the incident and the infrastructure of the crossing had been discussed since then with An Garda Síochána.

However, the director said every school has responsibility in terms of traffic and safety. “Don’t forget councillors, every school has an onus to have their own specific traffic management plan, it is a requirement of the boards of management.”

Mr Murray agreed, however, that in light of the facts raised, there is a case to have the zebra crossing upgraded to a pelican crossing, which allows for traffic to be controlled by pedestrian controlled lights.

Business park street light

At the same meeting, Cllr Ken Glynn said he had raised the issue of public lighting with the senior executive engineer in the transportation section of the council previously and was raising it again.

“The lack of lights at Mullingar Business Park was raised at questions at the last MD meeting, and numerous times at full council level,” he said.

“I’m disappointed with the response I got. I was told that money had to be found, despite being told here at a full council meeting that it would be resolved early in the new year when funding was sourced.

“It’s now been a full year that the lights are out of action but we have a number of ratepayers there, it’s a heavily populated and pedestrianised area, it’s not good enough.”

The Fianna Fáil councillor asked the director of services, Martin Murray, to personally intervene. “We cannot continue to ask our ratepayers to pay rates when we don’t even provide the most basic amenity of a public light outside their premises.”

In response, Mr Murry said it was raised directly with the transportation section, and was looked at in respect of public lighting funding.

“It is a limited fund, and we try to make decisions based on infrastructure, and investment on public lighting on a priority basis in respect of the full council meeting,” said the director of services.

He said he would return to Cllr Ken Glynn after discussing it again with the transportation section of the council.

“I raised it in relation to it being a main spine road coming into our town in light of the fleadh and all the events planned for 2020, and on that basis I convened a meeting last week, and they have to come back to me in respect of proposals. I hope to have a more positive response,” he said.