Wheelchairs and buggies in Laois town get 'a fair rocking' over stone drains

The Tidy Towns winning Laois town is giving a rocky experience to people on wheels, and a local councillor wants it sorted.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly is asking Laois County Council to look at the stone drains that run across the paved footpaths in Abbeyleix.

He says they give "a fair rocking" to locals who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters and baby buggies.

He tabled a motion to the May meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking the council to examine the surface water run off on the footpath paving on Main Street.

"This will have to be done on a phased basis, it's on both sides of Main Street. There is a dip, so when someone on a mobility scooter, or a wheelchair goes over they get a fair rocking. We have a lot of wheelchair users with Dove House and Meals on Wheels. 

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"I am not sure what you can come up with, we can't have trip hazards either," Cllr Fennelly said.

In reply, Portlaoise MD engineer Wes Wilkinson said his staff will examine the locations of the surface water channels on Main Street, with a view to addressing them on a phased basis.