PARENTS in Limerick’s Castletroy area have to live with fear every day when their children set off for school because of dangerous drivers and a lack of effective road safety measures.
Labour Party local election candidate for Limerick City East, Elena Secas, claims that drivers are continually breaking the traffic lights at the Childers Road/ Old Singland Road junction with no regard for children crossing to St Brigid’s National School.
When parents protested outside the school last week to highlight the danger caused by drivers who break the lights in Claughaun, a motorist drove into the protesters hitting one of them with his car as horrified parents and children looked on.
Ms Secas, a mother of two daughters, Nicole (12) and Alice (3), said that parents are now fearful for their children’s safety in this and other areas of the city.
“Similar issues have been raised by parents in the Monaleen and Milford areas. There are no safety measures in place, such as use of a lollipop person at the crossing over to Milford school, or no lights or pedestrian crossing at the College Road and Monaleen Road junction.
“Every morning parents watch their children crossing this junction between the cars which generally don’t stop to let children cross the road”, she explained.
Ms Secas, who has highlighted this issue to the local authorities on numerous occasions, said parents are angry that no measures have been taken to resolve this issue.
Parents are planning to continue protests at the Childers Road junction lights on Old Singland Road until the issue is resolved. They are fearful that it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.
“As a mother of two children who attend school locally, I urge the local authorities to take the necessary safety steps with regards to this issue on Childers Road, at Milford school and at the College Road/ Monaleen Road junction, as no parent should live with this fear every morning when their children go to school,”she said.
