A local Councillor has slammed the standard of street lighting in Gort as ‘inadequate’ – and warned that pedestrians were in danger of being struck by motorists because they cannot see them.

Both Galway County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are being urged to improve the lighting in Gort where a female pedestrian was recently knocked down while crossing the street.

According to Cllr Gerry Finnerty, the motorist did not see her because of the poor lighting in the town and the poor visibility at the time.

He said that the old traditional lighting was replaced by LED lighting which he believes does not provide the same coverage.

In his submission to Galway County Council, Cllr Finnerty asked the local authority to conduct a survey on the public lights in Gort town.

“They are a safety issue for pedestrians and walkers. Many drivers have remarked that you don’t spot people trying to cross the street,” he said.

“There is a general believe lights are very sparse and are of poor lighting quality. A few also are hidden by overgrowth.”

He said that even at pedestrian crossings in the town, it is a danger for the public and said that while motorists should be vigilant, there were times that members of the public might not be visible until “the last second”.

In response, Galway County Council can seek a review of the adequacy of the current lighting provision at specific areas of concern in Gort.

“We would request Cllr Finnerty to submit a list of specific locations to the Gort Area Office. Upgrades, if required, can be costed and progressed is adequate funding is available. Each councillor has the capacity to allocate €6,000 of their Notice of Motion funding towards public lighting improvement,” the Council stated.

Each of the 39 councillors is allocated Notice of Motion funding which is discretionary in terms of how they want to allocate in their respective areas.

Cllr Finnerty said that the provision of adequate lighting in Gort was a necessity and should be a statutory requirement. “No town should be left without proper street lighting,” he added.

Pictured: Cllr Gerry Finnerty (FF).