Connect with us

News

Residents take to Facebook to bemoan traffic and parking problems

Published

on

A

Angry locals have taken to social media to vent their frustrations over Killarney’s ongoing traffic and parking problems. Commenting on last week’s article (‘Has Killarney’s traffic problem reached breaking point?’) on the Killarney Advertiser Facebook page, fuming motorists expressed their dismay at the current situation, with some branding it a “nightmare”.

Congestion seems to have reached new levels this summer as residents and visitors alike are finding themselves stuck in long lines of traffic approaching and leaving all sides of the town.

As we mentioned last week (and numerous times before that), the recent TEIR 1 tourism report highlighted parking and traffic as major concerns for tourists and business owners alike. The report also predicted a 30% increase in tourism over the next seven years. Parking and infrastructure in general will clearly have to be addressed if this growth is to be sustained.

We contacted the Kerry County Council to ask if anything concrete plans were in place to tackle the issue but we are yet to receive a response. Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser in this week’s Smalltalk interview (see P16), Mayor John Sheahan admitted that parking and the interlinked issue of traffic were the biggest challenges facing the town.

He added that the new car park on the Rock Road will help alleviate the problem and also said they were looking at the Lewis Road site.

The latter has been signalled as an ideal area for development in these pages since last year, and our artist’s rendition of a proposed civic plaza and multi-storey car park was greeted warmly by our readers.

One thing is for sure: the majority of Killarney people are not happy with the current situation.

Facebook comments:

Michael Kelleher: Parking is the issue. Closing off a car park in the middle of the summer season and not providing a replacement for the temporarily lost spaces when spaces are at a premium.

Danijel Baždarić: Traffic in Killarney is really a big problem.

Brigid Mary O'Neill: Beyond ridiculous!

Carl Williams: I had to go pick up people in Cork Airport last week. It took me 1 hr 20 mins to get from Killorglin to other side of Killarney. It's a disgrace really.

Teresa Moynihan Fox: Why not set up a park and ride system?

Mary Ellen O’Sullivan: Killarney traffic is a nightmare. Roadworks are constant in the middle of the busy season. Stop and go lollipops and queues mounting, not to mention no parking spaces. It’s getting worse all the time. Will someone wake up and try to solve this huge problem that’s causing chaos in such a busy tourist town?

Jordan Naughton: Why on God’s Earth do they not build a huge multi-storey car park?

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

News

Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney

A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]

Published

on

0264056_shutterstock364523669.jpg

A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney

The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.

Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.

He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.

At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.

“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.

“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”

In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.

“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.

“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”

Attachments

Continue Reading

News

Ballymac charity vintage run on October 1

The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1. The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac. Registration […]

Published

on

0264265_20230917105100_1.jpg

The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1.

The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac.

Registration begins at 9:30am and sets off at 11am.

“There will be two separate routes with one for tractors and the other for cars and motorbikes. Proceeds on the day are in aid of Castleisland Day Care Centre and we’ll have plenty of spot prizes to giveaway too in the morning,” said the club’s PRO Kieran Glover.

Attachments

Continue Reading

LOCAL ADS

Last News

Advertisement

Sport

Trending