By Michelle Crean

A new one-way traffic system at O'Sullivan's Place - designed to make the area safer - continues to be completely ignored by motorists - according to local residents.

CRASH: A car that crashed in to a pole at the 'No Entry' turn to O'Sullivan's Place on Sunday.

As reported in last week's Killarney Advertiser, residents from O'Sullivan's Place highlighted their fears that someone will be "killed" and pleaded with motorists not to use the road as a shortcut.

The road is now a one way system with a narrowed roadway and new 'No Entry' signage from St Anne's Road have been erected. However, just days after publicly highlighting their fears, a car crashed in to the pole on a footpath last Sunday.

John Keogh, who was born and reared in O'Sullivan's Place, told the Killarney Advertiser this week that even with the new changes drivers are still paying no heed to the new rules.

Since the new system was implemented, a resident counted 160 cars coming through the road per hour - and it is still as busy with motorists using it as a "rat run", he explained.

"Once it gets backed up any bit at all people go through it as a short cut," he said. "There has to be recourse. It's going on 40 years, it's become a rat run.The Rules of the Road state you can't drive down O'Sullivan's Place and High St - why would you do one and not the other? What about if there was a family there? Where do we go from here, do we wait until someone is hit?"

He is calling for extra policing especially during the worst pressure times from Friday to Sunday.
He added that residents have asked the Council for extra signage. "They said it's coming. The Council were top class. Botty and Maura Healy-Rae have fought our corner from the start."

CONCERN

Cllr Maura Healy-Rae raised the issue at Wednesday's council meeting asking "when will the works at O’Sullivan’s Place be carried out to address traffic concerns there. Residents have been waiting for quite some time".

In their reply Kerry County Council said that it has completed the majority of the civil works at this location.
However, she added that “There are ongoing concerns" there.

"A resident told me the other day 16 cars passed through the estate, the wrong way, in 15 minutes".
Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan said that "It is still being used as a rat-run".

"That car hit the pole by trying to go against the one-way system. It is at a point where the Gardai will have to put an officer there.”

Cllr Brendan Cronin said that “During the planning stages, we said enforcement will be a problem there. It is happening day and night."

John Ahern, Senior Engineer with the Council explained that “it is clearly signed".
"Everything is in place, I have asked the Gardai to actively enforce it. [Drivers could] get three to five points on their licence if caught. It is a complete disregard for public traffic [regulations]. The full rigors of the law should be acted upon them.”