Actions of motorists at three Mullingar locations give concern

The actions of motorists at a number of locations around Mullingar came up for discussion at the December meeting of the Kinnegad Mullingar Municipal District, where Cllr Ken Glynn told of the concerns of residents in those areas, and sought solutions.

The areas concerned were O’Growney Drive, the Mullingar hospital roundabout, and the Ardmore Road.

Cllr Glynn first raised the issue of O’Growney Drive, asking for additional one-way signage to deter motorists who, he said, continue to ignore existing restrictions. Council management noted that new signage and road markings had already been installed in line with the Traffic Signs Manual, and that An Garda Síochána actively enforce traffic laws at the location.

Cllr Glynn said the problem persisted even after garda enforcement operations, explaining that residents had again asked for extra signage to clearly highlight the one-way system. “We’re going to have a situation there some day,” he warned, while acknowledging the strong garda presence in the area.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly said the council would “have another look” to see if there was scope for an additional sign, noting that compliance ultimately came down to “human behaviour”. District engineer Pat Kavanagh added that those breaking the rule “know what they’re doing”, and said that in fact one recent offender appeared to live in or travel regularly through the estate.

Turning to the Mullingar hospital roundabout, Cllr Glynn sought renewed lining works to make the junction easier to navigate. Council officials advised that road relining will be carried out as part of normal maintenance. Cllr Glynn described the junction as “a very tight roundabout” and said clearer markings could help traffic flow and safety, especially given the heavy pedestrian use by schoolchildren.

Council management agreed to examine the issue.

Finally, Cllr Glynn requested a continuous white line on the Ardmore Road, citing resident concerns about overtaking and safety. The council responded that a white line would not be added, explaining that the current Active Travel scheme design – including ramps and narrower carriageways – was specifically intended to reduce speed.

Ms Reilly said that the absence of a white line was deliberate: “As soon as you put in that white line, it’s just going to increase speeds. When drivers are a little more cautious because the line isn’t there, they naturally slow down – that’s the whole idea.”

Despite this, Cllr Glynn reiterated that residents had raised the issue out of genuine safety concerns and urged the council to reconsider whether further measures might be warranted in the future.