Pedestrians in Letterkenny have become experts at playing ‘chicken’ due to the lack of proper crossings in the town, local election candidate Bernie Moran has said.
The Fine Gael woman says that if she’s elected she will campaign for proper zebra crossings at key junctions in the town.
“Up until now there seems to be this idea that if you put two white lines across a road in this town that motorists will stop. They rarely do,” said Bernie.
“Motorists still have the right of way as far as I can see and there have been far too many accidents involving our residents – young and old – in recent times.”
Ms Moran was speaking at the Convent Road in the town where an elderly woman was knocked down recently just seconds after leaving Black’s shop.
“This is a terribly dangerous junction. The signage needs to change telling motorists to give way to pedestrians and, frankly, we need proper zebra crossings in this town and in this county,” said the Letterkenny Municipal District candidate.
“I know many motorists do slow down and do stop to cross roads but not all of them do.
“I have seen a few near-misses myself, particularly at the Oatfield Roundabout. I think it’s a disgrace that nothing has been done about this yet.
“We can’t be talking about people getting out and walking and running for their physical and mental health and then asking them to just ‘chance it’ when crossing our roads in Letterkenny, particularly in the evenings.”
Bernie Moran added: “I have yet to get a sane explanation for the current policy of drawing white lines on our roads and then asking our pedestrians to take their chances crossing.”