Offaly canal parking problems a 'major safety hazard'

THE need for a car park to facilitate walkers using the popular Grand Canal Greenway during the lockdown has been highlighted.

A motorist, who uses the Sragh Road in Tullamore on a regular basis, described the parking situation as a “major safety hazard” particularly when vehicles parked on both sides of the road.

“My intention is to raise the safety concerns and pose the questions in a visible public forum because I am not seeing it taken seriously by public representatives,” the motorist, whose identity is known to the Tribune, pointed out in a statement issued last week.

The motorist stressed there was a need for a plan of action to resolve the issue and highlighted three major concerns:

1. The clear lack of parking for users of the Canal Greenway at the Sragh Road entrance to Canal walkway.  No parking means cars are being recklessly parked along the Sragh / Rahan Road. It’s a hazardous situation where a line of cars are blocking the road. When it's very busy (like at the moment), cars will part on both sides of the road causing a major safety hazard.

2. The amount of cars parked along the road means that two cars cannot drive on the roadway so for traffic coming from the Rahan Road towards the town are now approaching a very dangerous area where families are getting into or out of cars, starting or ending walks etc. As the road bends, its clear that drivers won’t be expecting this obstruction and sooner or later there will be an accident.

3. Cars are doing u-turns on the road to facilitate parking  which is an added danger.

The motorist asked if Offaly County Council considered the situation as a safe one and asked why parking was not planned for the greenways.

They also asked if a risk and safety assessment had been carried out and if the council was aware of the problems in the area.

The matter was raised at this month's meeting of Tullamore Municipal District by Cllr Tony McCormack who also highlighted parking issues at the Puttaghaun and Daingean Road side of the canal.