Householder 'terrified' a child will be killed on dangerous Laois road

A Laois resident is calling for action amid fears a child will be killed on a stretch of road in Laois.

Pat Fitzpatrick says the narrow footpath outside his property on the lower Ballymullen Road in Abbeyleix is a hazard and he fears a child will be killed if the Council don’t take action.

“I have an issue with the footpath. The trucks are ok going up and down the road but they are so close to the footpath,” he said.

Mr Fitzpatrick said there are around 40 houses nearby and lots of young children. He said a further 11 houses are due to go on sale this month and there will likely be a lot of children using the footpath.

“I am terrified that some little kid is going to be killed there,” he said.

“It is a very busy road. It is very busy but I couldn’t say one bad word about the truckers,” said Mr Fitzpatrick, who noted they always dove carefully.

He said the road and footpath are narrow and he noted that along a section with double yellow lines, the lines on the outside are worn away because the traffic comes so close to the path.

He said he was turning 80 on his next birthday and if either he or his wife tripped or fell on the path they could end up on the road. He believes the path needs to be widened but said a railing along the footpath would also make it safer.

Mr Fitzpatrick said he would even be willing to give up some of his wall if it meant making the path safer and saving some young child’s life.

Fianna Fail Cllr John Joe Fennelly agreed that the path was “dangerous” and Mr Fitzpatrick’s concerns were well founded.

“It is a very narrow stretch of road. There is a lot of heavy goods vehicles and he has concerns, and genuine concerns,” he said.

Cllr Fennelly said he has raised the issue in notices of motions at Municipal District meetings and he will do so again.

“It is dangerous to be honest with you,” he said. He noted that ramps had been installed and the road was made one way for a section. He also said funding was secured to put a pedestrian crossing at the bottom of the road but he acknowledged that this wouldn’t resolve the issue.

“I will certainly keep raising it with the Council, I have been on about it all the time,” said Cllr Fennelly.

“There is still an anxiety there. The footpath is very narrow and if a child did happen to step out of the footpath it is dangerous,” he said.

Cllr Fennelly believes railings would resolve the issue and he said a safety audit should be carried out on the stretch of road. He too spoke of the 11 new houses which had been built in the area.