By Sean Moriarty

The question of pedestrianisation in the town centre has divided Killarney for years but a survey by the Killarney Advertiser this week shows the town slightly more in favour of it.

"Open the street to vehicles again. I miss the traffic passing by when at work at Julies. Maybe only have it closed to pedestrians during the summer time" Luay Raddam

"I would say keep it all year round and maybe increase pedestrianisation to include Main St but you can't do a lot more" Padraig Keogh

"I think it's OK the way it is and to keep pedestrianisation all year round. You could increase pedestrianisation to other streets but then where would the drivers go?" Yasmin Raman

"Keep it to pedestrians it's okay the way it is" Allen Mahlatini and Norman Kanyongo

"Leave it as it is right now and have it only for pedestrians. Maybe during the summer increase pedestrianisation to Main St if something was happening" Pól O'Suilleabháin

A total of 37.14 percent of respondents want the pedestrianisation of Plunkett St to remain as it is – closed to traffic on a permanent basis while 24.76 want it to go back to its pre-pandemic arrangement where the street was only closed to vehicular traffic between 7pm and 7am each night.

An additional 34.29 percent want to see an increase in pedestrianisation in town centre by extending the Main St arrangement that was in place during the summer. In that period the town’s main thoroughfare was closed to traffic, day and night, during the weekend.

Only 20 percent of the respondents want to abolish pedestrianisation altogether, but that is still a significant number ensuring that this debate will linger on for a long time yet.