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Pedestrianisation continues to divide the town

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By Sean Moriarty and Tristan O’Donoguhe

Pedestrianisation of the town centre remains as divisive as ever following the results of several different surveys this week.

On Monday next most COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in Ireland. However, this week Kerry County Council announced that the ‘Safe Streets’ project will continue until least December 31 this year.

This means Plunkett St will remain pedestrianised and footpaths in the town centre will retain their wider footprint.

This temporary measure has been in place since July 2020 to allow for “COVID-19 Town Centre Mobility Measures”.

Killarney Advertiser Survey

The Killarney Advertiser asked readers online "after nearly two years should the current pedestrianisation of Plunkett St (and associated projects) continue or should the town return to its pre-COVID-19 layout".

Some respondents (54.12%) want to keep the current layout while 45.88% want the town centre to return to its pre-pandemic layout.

Chamber Survey

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce published the results of its extensive ‘Killarney Sentiment Survey’ this week too.

The business body, through research agency Repucon, engaged with locals, business people and visitors through three different, but linked, surveys.

Analysing that research, it would appear the pedestrianisation of Plunkett Street and Main Street in Killarney has been a hit with 58.5% of businesses saying it was effective, 34.0% not agreeing, and 7.5% saying they don’t know.

In the community survey, 72.3% described the pedestrianisation of Plunkett Street as effective, 22.4% did not agree, and 5.3% said they don’t know while, in relation to Main Street, 56.9% of the community respondents thought pedestrianisation was effective, 37.1% didn’t agree, and 6.1% had no opinion.

Under a separate survey question 38.0% would be in favour of introducing pedestrianisation all year round, 36.5% said they would prefer to continue with the current level of car free zones, and 25.5% were in favour of removing it altogether.

In related matters, 55.9% of business responses were in favour of the decision to increase the width of footpaths in the town centre during the pandemic, 34.4% were against and 9.7% didn’t know.

In the community survey responses, 57.1% were in favour of wider pavements, 36.8% were opposed and 6.0% didn’t give an opinion.

For more on the extensive 'Killarney Sentiment Survey' turn to page 12.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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