Councillor accuses Fingal of ‘doublespeak’ and ‘spin’ over road safety

Rush/Lusk councillor Cathal Boland and Fingal County Council have clashed over the dangers faced by drivers on various carriageways in the county.

The Independent councillor called on the local authority to undertake a “review of the road dangers on the R130,” particularly at bends where HGVs are coming “into conflict” with other road users.

Boland says that “pedestrians, cyclists and indeed motorcyclists now use the road in a state of fear.”

Boland tabled the motion at a local area committee meeting earlier this month.

In response, the council said it “was notified of a recent RTA [road traffic accident] involving a HGV at this location through a representation from an elected representative.

“This incident is presumed to be under investigation by An Garda Síochána.

“Road users are required to drive in accordance with the prevailing road conditions ensuring that they have a duty of care to all other road users, including vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Rules of the Road apply to all road users.”

Boland, speaking at the meeting, said that the problem with the R130 in particular is that the carriageway is not wide enough to fit two heavy-goods vehicles travelling in opposite directions.

As they meet, the trucks have to “play chicken until one of them has to blink,” he says.

He said the council’s response to the motion was “a load of cobblers” and accused the council of “spin.”

He had not heard “such doublespeak in all my years” and said the council was not taking the issue seriously.

The people of the rural area were entitled to “as much consideration” as an area of Skerries mentioned in a previous motion, he said.

Boland said that the council was passing the responsibility of managing the road on to the Gardaí and was removing all road signage and safety measures “that are on all of the roads of Fingal.”

“We need serious and real action to be taken on the rural roads and the council should come up with some solutions as to how safety can be restored.”

“This report is a load of cobblers. Thank you, Chair”, he said.

During the debate, a council official said that it was the local authority’s role to provide safe roads and this was achieved through road improvement schemes, the construction of new roads, and traffic calming measures.

However, the council said it was not an enforcement agency, and had limited scope on what it could enforce.

He said that the council’s road programme is “not perfect”, but it does “as best it can within available resources.”

All drivers should not only drive within the rules of the road, but also within “the spirit” of the rules of the road, he says.

The official said that the council will organise a meeting with Boland “on-site” with an executive engineer to determine if any engineering solutions could be found.