Wallace presses for safety measures for Loughegar

A request from the principal of Loughegar National School for additional traffic management measures has received strong backing from local councillors.

Citing the efforts already made to improve safety outside Loughegar National School, Cllr Emily Wallace raised the issue of the additional needs identified at the school at the June meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, proposing the installation of pencil bollards and new road markings as a possible solution.

In response, the District Office said it will examine the road outside Loughegar NS and meet the principal to determine whether additional works are required.

Cllr Wallace acknowledged the significant investment already made at the location in recent years, including speed ramps, signage and road markings, but said new challenges had emerged because of increasing traffic volumes around the school.

She explained that many parents now park in nearby Clonkill and children use the pedestrian crossing to reach the school. Difficulties arise when buses or other vehicles stop along the school frontage during drop-off and collection times.

“The principal and teachers are putting bollards out every morning and every afternoon to stop cars parking there,” she said.

“The children need to be seen and have safe access from the school gate to the middle island before crossing the road. The principal has asked that pencil bollards could be installed and can identify exactly where they are needed.”

She described the proposal as a simple measure that would prevent vehicles from parking in problematic locations and help maintain clear sightlines for pupils and motorists alike.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Aoife Davitt said school management had already done everything possible within their own resources to address the issue.

“We often ask groups to be proactive, and they have done so much already,” she said.

“They've tried everything in their own arsenal to make it as safe as possible. The bollards they're putting out themselves aren't really the solution, but it's the only thing they can do at the moment.

“I think we need to use the expertise we have as a council and through our engineers to see if we can help them.”

District engineer Pat Kavanagh said substantial work had already been completed at the school in recent years, but he was happy to examine any new concerns that may have arisen.

“We've done a lot of work at Loughegar School over the last couple of years,” he said.

“But I'm more than happy to meet with the principal and have a look on the ground to see what we can do.”