Motoring

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is calling on the people of Clare to submit nominations to the national ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ Awards which are returning this year following a two-year absence due to Covid-19. The awards recognise a group or individual who campaigns, educates, and is committed to improving road safety in their locality and across Ireland, and honours the significant contribution made by people and organisations nationwide in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads. Nominations are now open and can be submitted online on the Leading Lights webpage on RSA.ie. Entries are encouraged from any individual or group that has made a special contribution to road safety, whether it be big or small, since 2019. Anyone submitting a nomination is encouraged to include relevant background information, such as photos, videos, or other supporting documents to enhance their application. The closing date for entries is Friday, 28 October 2022. The 2022 awards will see a continued …

Operating profits at the consortium which operates the €800m Limerick tolled tunnel last year more than doubled to €16.44 million. New accounts show that DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd last year enjoyed the operating profit surge as revenues soared by 38 per cent from €22.55 million to €31.06 million. A large contributor to the surge in revenues was Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) making ‘operating payments’ of €8.77 million to DirectRoute Limerick last year.  The €8.77 million is a nine fold increase on the €975,965 paid out under that heading by TII to the consortium in 2020. As the national road network recovered traffic volumes from the early pandemic hit 2020, the company’s toll income last year increased by 15.45 per cent from €11.96 million to €13.8 million. The DirectRoute firm also received ‘traffic guarantee’ payments of €8.4 million from TII making up the overall revenue total of €31.06 million.  The traffic guarantee payments are made when daily traffic volumes don’t exceed 23,000 …

SERIOUS concern has been expressed about speeding through the village of Clooney, despite recent measures to slow traffic there to 50kph. The matter was raised at the recent meeting of Killaloe district councillors, when Councillor Pat Hayes called for the speed limit reduction to be extended on the Ennis side of the village. After being told that limits are reviewed every five years by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Councillor Hayes urged the Council to use an appeals mechanism to progress the issue. “Exceptional work has been done in Clooney and I’m only talking about the Ennis side of the village,” Councillor Hayes said. “We are all very proud of the work and a fine job has been done. If anyone is assessing the situation from the Ennis side, you’ll see that the speed signs are on the bend. You’re in the village before you see them. They are hidden to some degree.” The Caher man thanked the Council for a …

A young man has been airlifted to hospital in Dublin after he was injured in a road traffic collision in East Clare on Wednesday afternoon. The incident, which involved a tractor but no other vehicle, happened at around 5.45pm at Knockaveen off the main R461 Scariff to Feakle road. It’s understood the driver, believed to be in his late teens, was working in the area for a contractor and was drawing bales when the collision occurred. It’s thought that he lost control of the tractor on the country road and overturned. Two units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Scariff station responded to the incident along with National Ambulance Service paramedics and Gardaí. The Cork-based charity-funded Irish Community Air Ambulance was also requested to attend the scene. After the injured driver had been safely removed from the tractor by fire crews and paramedics he was airlifted to hospital in Dublin. It’s understood his injuries are serious but not …

TRANSPORT Infrastructure Ireland (TII) should be “shot at dawn” for its work on the Clareabbey Roundabout a councillor has said as he renewed calls for traffic calming to be introduced. Councillor Paul Murphy has described efforts to address safety concerns on the roundabout on the outskirts of Ennis over the years as a “personal crusade” believing there will be a serious accident some day if improvements are not made. The Clarecastle councillor has raised numerous notices of motion relating to Clareabbey roundabout at meetings of the Ennis Municipal District over the years. Most recently he has urged that traffic lights and or signalling be introduced to make the roundabout safer for motorists and vulnerable road users. Speaking at a meeting of the council he requested that all motions he has submitted regarding the need for traffic calming at Clareabbey be collated and forwarded to TII, alongside his latest request and that an “urgent response” be made. John Gannon, Senior Executive …

TOURISTS coming into East Clare could be at a serious disadvantage if they are driving an Electric Vehicle (EV), due to a lack of rapid chargers.  That was the view expressed by Councillor Pat Hayes who made an appeal, at the July meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District committee, for better infrastructure to support EVs.  “I’m being asked every day about this and I’d like a progress report,” he said. “I’m wondering about the rapid charging points in particular. If someone comes off the motorway and wants to charge their EV in Killaloe or Scariff, we don’t have a plan for that yet.” The Caher man pointed out that as more motorists make the switch to EVs, charging infrastructure needs to keep pace. “There’s a huge amount of people moving to electric cars and asking where the fast-charging points are,” he said. “The fact is, we don’t have any. There is urgency around this now. We need at least one …

GRAVE concerns among the local community in Shannon visiting Illaunmanagh cemetery were highlighted at a meeting of councillors where it was confirmed plans are underway for a new footpath and improved car parking. Councillor Gerry Flynn, at a meeting of the Shannon Municipal District, highlighted “big entourages” of vehicles attending services at the crematorium parking in spaces provided for the graveyard. Illegal encampments have led to the closing of the parking area near the main entrance, he added saying this is “causing a massive inconvenience”. While sight lines when exiting on to Slí na Mara, “a very busy road, is causing safety issues”. Responding to the motion, Tom Mellett, Senior Executive Engineer Shannon Municipal District stated, “Shannon Municipal District will be installing a new footpath and improved public car parking area in the Illaunmanagh area. “The works include the installation of new drainage infrastructure, kerbing, a new macadam footpath, a new car parking area and improving the entrance to the …

TÁNAISTE Leo Varadkar was in Shannon last week for the official opening of the Future Mobility Campus Ireland in the Free Zone. It’s the country’s first full-scale development centre and test-bed for mobility technologies. In essence the facility exists to work on the development of driverless cars, air taxis and drones, as well as the air traffic technology to manage them. Addressing the attendance on the day Mr Varadkar spoke about the development of Ardnacrusha, and how that shows a history of innovation and vision in Clare, while he also spoke about the county’s future. “I think that first Government showed really enormous vision in making that decision, making that bet for Ireland that turned out to be the right one. “That was followed up by other innovations in this region, Shannon Airport, Duty Free and of course the Shannon Free Zone where we are now. This region has always been at the forefront of industrial innovation and that should …