Hundreds turn out in support of N25 Waterford to Glenmore campaign
Some of the very large crowd in attendance at the meeting in the Rhu Glenn.
Around five hundred people turned out to a public meeting to demand safety measures on the N25.
The meeting, which was organised by the N25 Waterford to Glenmore Road Safety Campaign, was held in the Rhu Glenn Hotel last Monday.
In attendance were local representatives from Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford.
Speakers on the night represented road victims, farmers, hauliers, Kilkenny County Council and the emergency services.
Campaign Chairperson Bernie Mullaly said it was great to see so many people supporting the initiative.
“Our small and committed campaign group are overwhelmed and humbled by the support we have received to date.
"To see so many of you here tonight is a testament to the deep concerns people have regarding this dangerous stretch of road outside,” said Ms Mullaly.
Ms Mullaly, who is a nurse, said the committee were angry that they have to campaign for a safe road, which is the community’s right.
She said that in the past 20 years, 84 people have lost their lives on the N25.
Twelve of those died on a six-kilometre stretch of road between Glenmore and the Luffany roundabout, and two of those this year alone.
“All too often, my colleagues and I have seen the aftermath. The shattered lives that come through our hospital doors. Heart wrenchingly watching devastated families try to recover, rehabilitate and heal.
“I’ve cared for people who were seriously injured in collisions on that road. Some who live with disabilities and chronic pain, and some who never truly recover from what happened in that split second.
“I have also listened to numerous people talk about their near misses and lucky escapes on that road; moments that still haunt them," said Ms Mullaly.
The campaign group have proposed a set of short-term measures that would improve safety on the road.
Firstly, they are asking for the clearing and trimming of ditches at dangerous junctions and bends.
In particular at Ballinclare and Davidstown, Glenmore, where committee member PJ Griffin said five people have lost their lives in the last 20 years.
They would like slip roads to be graduated and for average speed cameras to be installed between the Luffany Roundabout, Slieverue and Ballinaraha, Glenmore.
The group are calling for traffic calming, public lighting and lower speed limits on the road.
And the installation of warning signs and speed feedback displays.
They would also like side barriers to be reviewed for safety upgrades.
Mr Griffin said they have spoken to Kilkenny County Council about the measures proposed.
“We believe these safety measures will mitigate and reduce the incidence of serious and fatal road traffic accidents on this stretch of roadway," said Mr Griffin.
Kilkenny County Council have jurisdiction over the road and the council CEO Lar Power also spoke at the event.
“I want to thank the guys who organised this, and it’s great to be here this evening and we look forward to working with you to bring some interim measures and ultimately, the objective is to deliver the entire road,” said Mr Power.
According to the CEO, a new road, which will take six years, would cost €100million.
Speaking at the event, road design expert Dermot Donovan said the recommendations make sense.
“Having been given a history of a collision history from Kilkenny County Council in a broad way, I can say what I have heard tonight rings very true to me.
"And I think these six measures would be very productive to enhance safety on the road,” said Mr Donovan.
He said the N25 does not have more accidents than other roads, but the accidents it does have are more serious and more likely to be fatal.
This is because the road’s type changes at different points and drivers do not necessarily adapt their driving.
“In essence, they don’t slow down, and they don’t adapt their driving style and that leads to problems then on sections of dual carriageway that are close to motorways and single carriageways,” said Mr Donovan.
Representatives from the Irish Farmers Association, Irish Road Haulers Association and the National Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland all spoke at the meeting.
Deputy IFA president Alice Doyle said their members are particularly impacted because the N25 runs through a busy agricultural area.
Farmers live and work on the road, but many drivers unfamiliar with the area may not know this.
This leads to incidents of rear-ending and too many near misses.
She welcomed the recommendations by the committee and the council’s plan for the new road.
“If and when that project begins, just know the IFA will be there to support you in whatever way we can, and particularly at the CPO level,” said Ms Doyle.
Honorary Secretary of the Irish Road Haulage Association, John Nolan said their members have been calling for action on ditches for ten years.
He said he also supported reducing the speed limit from 100 km/hr to 80km/hr and flashing speed feedback signs, which he said were better at catching a driver’s attention.
Mr Nolan said seeing the room full on this night made him hopeful.
“The one thing we have here is people power. Look at the room. It's full. We've all got a common agenda- use it. Now, I’ve been at a lot of hauliers meetings and there are ten or twenty people. I’ve never been in a room like this,” said Mr Nolan.
Managing Director of Wexford Bus and Vice Chair of the National Coach, Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland, Brendan Crowley said he also supported reducing the speed limit on the road.
He said buses have a speed limit of 80km/hr, but cars overtake them, not knowing what is in front.
“And, I can assure you if you were to look at CCTV reviews from forward facing cameras, it's actually frightening how frequently we come to near misses where people just try to squeeze in and try to overtake at the smallest opportunity,” said Mr Crowley.
He said the economic impact is “massive,” and measures on the road can not come soon enough.
Wexford councillor and paramedic Ger Carthy said he was speaking on behalf of the emergency services to offer their support to the campaign.
He told those in attendance that people need to change their behaviour on the roads and the authorities need to stop “kicking the can down the road” when it comes to improving the road.
“If you walked into the national rehabilitation centre in Dun Laoghaire, you wouldn’t speed, you wouldn’t drink, you wouldn’t drug drive, and we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in. It’s about culture, and it’s about education also, and it’s about enforcement," said Cllr Carthy.
The final speaker of the night was the founder and chairperson of the Irish Road Victims Association Donna Price.
Ms Price lost her son in a road accident in 2006.
She called on all those present on the night to slow down, put down mobiles when driving and never drink or take drugs and drive.
Ms Price also called for a “new sense of urgency” on improvements to the road.
“We all know the causes of these crashes, and each of us can play our part in bringing down these fatalities,” said Ms Price.
