Calls for action after accident

Calls for action after accident

16 July 2014

A LOCAL politician is seeking an urgent meeting with Roads Service officials to discuss concern about speeding motorists at the Ballylough Road in Annsborough.

Councillor Patrick Clarke said roads officials must take on board the concerns of residents who fear it may only be a matter of time before there is a serious accident in the area.

Confirmation Councillor Clarke is seeking a site meeting with roads officials comes after the grandparents of a schoolgirl knocked down near her home in the village appealed to the Roads Service to put the brakes on speeding motorists.

Ten year-old Caitlin McKibbin was struck by a car on June 16 while crossing the Ballylough Road. She sustained a number of injuries and was rushed to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital. Caitlin, who is a pupil at Annsborough Integrated Primary School, was released from hospital a few days after the accident.

Her grandparents, Hugh and Anne McCann, say there have been a number of accidents at the Ballylough Road over the past number of years, with residents in the area sharing their concern about the increasing speed of drivers. They have warned vehicles are travelling too fast along the Ballylough Road and something must be done to slow them down.

The Roads Service has provided signs warning drivers they are approaching Annsborough and that a school is located along the Ballylough Road. 

It has also confirmed while there are no plans to introduce any further measures at this time, the Ballylough Road will be “continually assessed in accordance with policy and procedures.”

Caitlin’s grandparents say this simply isn’t good enough and are concerned the Roads Service is refusing to provide road humps or other measures to reduce the speed of vehicles as they are deemed “unsuitable” for a main rural road.

Councillor Clarke said the Roads Service needs to take a short and long term approach at the Ballylough Road. He hopes some interim measures can be introduced to slow vehicles as the lobbying process for more permanent traffic calming measures continues.

He added: “There is a clear need to carry out an assessment at this busy road to determine the need for traffic calming measures. I will be insisting the Roads Service carries out this work as a matter of urgency and hope to meet with its officials on site as soon as possible.”