Galway City Council will kiss goodbye to kissing gates that block bike and buggy access at three locations.

Director of Services, Patrick Greene, whose remit includes Roads and Recreation and Amenity sections, said the Council was progressing plans to remove three kissing gates, including two at South Park in Claddagh and one at Terryland.

He said the removal of those kissing gates – which are problematic for cyclists and children’s buggies – would be done on a pilot basis before possibly rolling it out in other areas.

Design of what will replace the gates was progressing, he said, and the engineering solution would be progressed before the end of this year.

Mr Greene was responding to a query from Cllr Colette Connolly (Ind), who asked why there had been no update on the removal of the South Park kissing gates.

Several submissions were lodged by the public during the consultation phase of the new City Development Plan, which was agreed this summer.

Last year, Mr Greene said the City Council was liaising with the National Transport Authority on accessible alternatives to kissing gates.

The NTA, he said, planned to come up with a new design for gates that are more accessible for users such as people on cargo bikes, pram users and people in wheelchairs.

At the latest Council meeting, Mr Greene said the removal of three gates would be progressed before the end of this year.