By Avril Horan

ROAD safety on Cappagh Road in Knocknacarra has come under scrutiny after a series of incidents in which children were injured — reigniting calls for urgent traffic-calming measures.

Cllr Donal Lyons (Ind) said, “a number of incidents” had occurred in the past few weeks alone “where children were injured.”

He warned that residents were repeatedly sounding the alarm that “there will be a major incident on the road” if action is not taken.

Cllr Lyons told the West Ward Area meeting that speed-detector signs were now essential, and pledged to give funding himself if necessary.

“We need something to slow down traffic,” he insisted.

But Council officials said the situation was far from straightforward. The local authority was already “at saturation point” with speed-detector units.

Unless a project appears on the National Transport Authority’s programme, it must come from the city budget. Even then, funding is uncertain.

“We have looked for funding in next year’s budget, but we don’t know if we’ll receive it,” officials said.

The active travel team is expected to integrate Cappagh Road into its wider traffic-calming policy, but elected representatives were told, “the key is we need money”.

Alongside the danger faced by children, wheelchair users living on Cappagh Road are also at a significant disadvantage.

Cllr Lyons highlighted the case of a Brothers of Charity residence where clients using wheelchairs are unable to exit safely due to cars speeding past the property.

The organisation previously applied for permission to create an access route into the nearby Ros Árd estate as a safer alternative, but the application was refused by Galway City Council.

“They want to bring clients out into the fresh air and are not able to,” Cllr Lyons said.

“Cars are speeding out their door. It would seem logical and sensible that this would be an active travel project. We have to think about people who are not as mobile as ourselves. We take going for a walk for granted.”

Cllr Alan Curran (Soc Dem) questioned whether more physical traffic-calming measures similar to those installed on Shangort and Knocknacarra Road could be introduced.

He expressed frustration that they were “on repeat saying the same things,” while the Executive outlined that both funding mechanisms and national standards have changed.

While funding sources such as the Local Improvement Scheme might be explored, officials stressed that alternatives such as ramps were considered “a last resort” because of issues ranging from emergency-service access to their mixed public acceptance.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

Pictured: Cappagh Road: call for safety measures.