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EXCLUSIVE

By Sean Moriarty

A new speed indicator light is to be installed in Glenflesk village in the coming weeks which is just one step of many road safety requirements for the area.

On Wednesday, Paul Curry of the Kerry National Roads Design Office, hosted a Killarney Municipal District briefing where he confirmed plans to place the speed indicator sign in the village.

Locally politicians, particularly Cllr Maura and TD Danny Healy-Rae have been campaigning for traffic calming devices in the village for years.

A local woman was fatally injured while crossing the road there in December 2017.

While Cllr Maura Healy-Rae welcomed the decision to install a speed indication sign, she said it was only the first step of many needed to make the village safe for pedestrians.

“These measures need to be implemented in full to avoid any further loss of life at this location but it is important to bear in mind this is one step to address speed and safety concerns at this location,” she told the Killarney Advertiser after Wednesday’s meeting. “The speed limit was reduced, but there is ongoing concerns regarding speed in Glenflesk. I have tabled numerous motions regarding these issues and have called for the need for a full traffic calming scheme inclusive of traffic calming measures, upgrading of the pedestrian crossing and the erection of speed indicator signs. Kerry County Council and the Kerry National Roads Design Office are currently preparing a number of options for a traffic calming scheme and are engaging and consulting with residents and businesses in the area. This is a welcome step in the process that I have campaigned for, for a long time.”

Her father Danny, a former elected member of Kerry County Council and now a TD in Dáil Éireann campaigned for these measures during his time as a councillor.

“This is one part of addressing the ongoing speed and safety issues at this location. This is something we have both been looking for, for a very long time and there have been several motions raised on this important matter,” he told the Killarney Advertiser.