By Sean Moriarty

Local councillors and politicians often accuse Dublin-based government agencies of being out of touch with daily happenings in rural Ireland.

This was laid bare at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District meeting where plans for the €2 million traffic calming plan in Fossa were put to the elected members.

Senior Kerry County Council engineers unveiled detailed plans for the much awaited project.

Plans included a shared-use cycle and pedestrian path on each side of the road, provision of a controlled pedestrian crossing at Fossa National School and the extension of existing public lighting in the village.

The plan also includes the realignment of the junction at the Gap Road but does not include the provision of dedicated bus stops along the redevelopment.

These last two items caused a huge degree of bewilderment with the elected councillors.

While they were allowed to make recommendations to change some aspects of the plans – the school crossing was changed from a Zebra crossing to a push-button crossing – the latter two items could not be changed as they fall under Transport Infrastructure Ireland guidelines for rural traffic management schemes.

Councillors were left with a dilemma, accept the proposals as they stood or risk losing the anticipated funding which will come on stream by the end of the year.

Councillors raised concerns that traffic attempting to turn into the Gap Road will have to stop and leave exiting traffic out and then cross a continuous white line to complete the manoeuvre.

Such was the concern of recently elected Mayor, Niall Kelleher, he sought legal advice on the matter. However that was overturned when Cllr Brendan Cronin moved a motion to accept the plans with two changes allowed.

Colleagues were concerned that if the plans were not accepted on Wednesday, that the whole project would be put on hold.

“We cannot redesign national standards. Amendments must fit with national guidelines,” said Municipal District Manager John Breen warned the elected councillors ahead of the vote.

“We don’t have the authority or the forum to change national design standards.”

As a result, all seven elected members voted, some reluctantly, to accept the plan.

They felt that the people of Fossa would not thank them for delaying it further but warned that when the plan comes to fruition that they will have answer questions on why traffic at the Gap Cross is coming to a standstill to allow traffic motorists make the turn.

They raised similar concerns that the lack of a dedicated bus stop will cause traffic disruption in the village – some cited the delays experienced in Farranfore as an example of why this should be changed. However, that discussion was met with the same response as the Gap Road junction – the national design standards cannot be changed by elected councillors.