FIANNA Fail TD Willie O’Dea has called on Limerick City and County Council to switch the cycle path and footpath on the Childer’s Road near the Parkway shopping centre before a serious injury or death occurs.
He was speaking following a near miss last week when a grandmother and her grandchild were nearly hit by a cyclist.
“This recent incident is just the latest near miss on this stretch of cycle path near the Parkway roundabout. Last year a woman was struck and was injured by a cyclist in the same area,” Deputy O’Dea told the Limerick Post.
“A cycle path and a footpath run alongside the Childer’s Road between the Parkway and Tipperary Road roundabouts. The footpath is nearest the road and the cycle path is on the inside, running alongside Norwood Park. Therefore, if a pedestrian is emerging from Norwood Park, they are walking right into the path of oncoming cyclists some of whom would be travelling at 40 kilometres per hour or more. It is obviously particularly dangerous for anybody pushing a pram or buggy.”
Deputy O’Dea was contacted by a grandmother who was emerging with her grandchild from Norwood Park last week and were inches away from being struck by a cyclist travelling at speed.
“I have since been in touch with Council officials about the cycle path and they have confirmed what everybody can see, that the cycle path was installed in the wrong place. Initially a developer constructed part of the cycle and footpath in error in the wrong order and the Council extended it over the years.
“I am appealing to the Council to urgently rectify the situation by switching the two lanes before anybody gets badly injured or even killed. I don’t believe there would be significant costs involved in this, as most of the work involves just changing the markings on the footpath and cycle paths.”
Betty Sheehan of Norwood Park Residents Association also raised her concerns about the cycle path to the Limerick Post.
“I don’t know who decided this was a good idea, but it is just not safe. There has been a lot of near misses in recent times. We are especially concerned for young children, mothers with buggies and elderly people, walking with the aid of a stick, who use this stretch. It is an accident waiting to happen,” Miss Sheehan insists.
There was no response from Limerick City and County Council at the time of going to print.
by Alan Jacques
