There are calls for the council to undertake public lighting and road safety assessments at rural Kerry schools.
Fine Gael councillor Angie Baily made the call at the recent Tralee Municipal District meeting.
She stated she felt it was important safety measures were enhanced where there was a grouping of younger and more vulnerable road users.
Cllr Angie Baily asked that the council carry out assessments of public lighting and road safety measures around rural schools in the Tralee MD.
She asked that the council take into account pedestrian usage, number of children attending the school, the absence of footpaths, traffic volumes, and road layout, and that recommendations be made for how improvements can be implemented.
She told the meeting there’d been several incidents whereby children are getting out of a vehicle and are getting hit by another car as they then cross the road into school.
Cllr Baily stated she believed there was a duty of care and an onus of responsibility on the council with regards this issue.
Kerry County Council’s Capital Delivery Unit (North) is responsible for the delivery of the safe routes to school programme on behalf of the National Transport Authority.
It aims to improve safety at the school gate, to alleviate congestion and enhance accessibility, improve access routes to schools and increase the number of students cycling to school by expanding and improving the provision of cycle parking.
It says there are five schools in the Tralee MD that have been placed on this programme.
The council also says progression is currently underway with these schools and the programme is not currently open for new schools to apply.
The following schools within the Tralee Municipal District have been placed on the SRTS (Safe Routes to School) Programme by the NTA:
• Moyderwell Mercy Primary School.
• Sacred Heart Primary School, Castle Street Upper.
• Presentation Secondary School, Ballymullen.
• Mercy Secondary School, Mounthawk.
• Scoil Mhuire na mBráithre (CBS Primary).
