O’Gorman welcomes clarification from Dublin Bus about buses parking on Diswellstown Road

dub-bus-response-april-092

Cars attempting to overtake a 37 bus parked on the Diswellstown Road

19/04/09

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has welcomed clarification from Dublin Bus about the parking of buses on the Diswellstown Road.

“Over the last year I have been engaging with Dublin Bus and Fingal County Council over the issue of buses on the 37 route parking on the Diswellstown Road outside Fernleigh and causing a traffic hazard. I have put questions to the County Manager and wrote letters to Dublin Bus management, including a number of pictures I took of cars attempting to pass parked buses”.

“In their most recent correspondence with me, Paddy Doherty, the Business Development Manager for Dublin Bus, stated that the company has applied to Fingal County Council to construct a new terminus for the 37 route on the Blanchardstown Road South between the new Ongar Road and the Dr. Troy Bridge. This will require approval from the Department of Transport”.

“Mr. Doherty also assured me that bus drivers are now being told to use the bus lay-by opposite Castleknock Community College quote “when they have sufficient lay-over time”. While I am pleased that the issue is at least being highlighted to drivers, I am not satisfied that Dublin Bus fully appreciate the danger that is being created, particularly when a number of buses are parked on the road at the same time”.

I also had a question put to the Fingal County Manager, asking to him to raise the issue of safety on the Diwsellstown Road with Dublin Bus. While the County Manager referred to Dublin Buses plan to create a new terminus, I think the Manager needs to go further and specifically raise the serious safety issues arising from buses parking on the road outside Fernleigh with Dublin Bus management”.

“I will continue to put pressure on Dublin Bus and Fingal CC on this issue. I have asked residents in the area to contact me if they see buses persisting to park along the Diswellstown Road”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

o Please see below answer from Fingal County Manager at April Council meeting.
o Please see link to reply from Dublin Bus at top of post.

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday 15th APRIL 2009

ITEM NO. 14

BUS TERMINUS ON DISWELLSTOWN ROAD

Question: Councillor J. Corr
“To ask the Manager if Fingal County Council could contact Dublin Bus and request that their drivers cease the practice of the 37 bus parking on the Diswellstown Road outside Fernleigh before it commences its inbound journey due to the road safety risks this creates?”

Reply:
It is understood that Dublin Bus proposes to relocate the bus terminus on Diswellstown Road to a suitable location on Blanchardstown Road South between the Clonsilla Road Roundabout and the Ongar Road Roundabout. This is subject to the necessary funding being made available to construct the proposed new terminus.

Press Release – O’Gorman calls for safety railings to be installed along Carpenterstown Road and Diswellstown Road

15/03/09

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has called on Fingal County Council to install safety railings separating estate green spaces from busy roads.

“I’m calling on Fingal County Council to install safety railings at the roundabout on the Carpenterstown Road outside the Carpenter Pub, to separate the road from Burnell Park and also along the Diswellstown Road to separate the road from the Luttrellstown Glade and Luttrellstown Grove estates”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“The lack of safety railings has been a consistent concern for residents of these estates, particularly as there are a large number of young children living locally and both roads are notorious for speeding”.

“I recently had a question raised at a Fingal CC meeting regarding these two locations. The County Manager has stated that there are no plans to work on these under the current Transport Works plan for 2009. However, I will continue to pressure the Council on this issue as it not acceptable to leave young children at risk in this way”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING
MONDAY 9TH MARCH 2009

ITEM 11

RAILINGS – BURNELL PARK & LUTTRELLSTOWN GLADE/GROVE

Question: Councillor J. Corr

“To ask the Manager whether the Council will consider erecting railings at the south-west side of the roundabout on the Carpenterstown Road outside the Carpenter Pub, to separate the road from Burnell Park and along the south side of the Diswellstown Road to separate the road from the Luttrellstown Glade and Luttrellstown Grove estates in the interest of public safety?”

Reply:

The railings provided at Burnell Park were provided by the developers of the estate as part of the boundary treatment between the estate and the Diswellstown Road. No provision is included in current Works Programmes to extend the railings around the turning circle bordering the Carpenterstown Road.

No provision is included in the 2009 Transportation Works Programme to provide safety railings at Luttrellstown Glade and Luttrellstown Grove adjacent to the Diswellstown Road. These areas will be listed for examination and further consideration when future Works Programmes are being drawn up.

Press Release – O’Gorman calls for Council to swiftly draft and publish traffic calming measures for Diswellstown Road

08/02/09

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has called on Fingal County Council to swiftly draft and publish traffic calming measures for the Diswellstown Road. He was speaking in response to a letter from the Council’s Transportation Department in which it was confirmed that the final details for the traffic calming scheme had not yet been finalised.

“I’m pleased that the Council can confirm some aspects of the new traffic calming plan, such as traffic lights at the Riverwood Road roundabout and at the roundabout outside St. Patricks National School. The Council also confirmed that it will be implementing traffic calming on the Diswellstown Road, the Luttrellstown Road, Rugged Lane and Somerton Lane”.

“I have written to the Council and urged them to put speed ramps in place on the Diswellstown Road. The traffic monitors that were placed there in the run up to the 2007 General Election have proved to be completely ineffective – indeed many people feel that they actually encouraging speeding by boy-racers. Ramps are the one mechanism that will act to immediately slow down speeding cars”.

“Parents in estates such as Luttrellstown and Riverwood are deeply worried about the speeds that are being achieved on the Diswellstown Road at all time of the day and night. The opening up of the link to the Porterstown Road may well exacerbate this situation. As such, I am calling on the Council to swiftly draw up the traffic calming plan for the area so that it can be put on public display so local residents can give their opinion on the matter”.

“I would also suggest that the Council look at putting ramps on the roads into some of the estates along the Diswellstown Road. Residents on roads like Luttrellstown Way have told me about numerous incidents of speeding and crashes within the estate itself. Since the Council are going to be undertaking works in the area, it makes sense to examine if ramps would be effective in reducing speed and preventing accidents in the surrounding areas,” concluded Roderic O’Gorman

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777

reply_diswellstown_traffic_calming1

Press Release – O’Gorman renews calls for action over 37 bus terminus on Diswellstown Road

07/12/08

Green Party Castleknock ward candidate, Roderic O’Gorman has renewed his call on Dublin Bus to address the dangerous situation on the Diswellstown Road where buses on the 37 route park on the road prior to departure.

“I recently wrote to Dublin Bus asking them about their proposed extension of the 37 route to Blanchardstown Road South, and asking that in the mean time, they take measures to address the dangerous situation whereby 37 buses, waiting to depart, are parked on the Diswellstown Road just outside of the Fernleigh estate. Dublin Bus responded by saying that the Minister for Transport has not yet made a decision on extending the 37 route and in the meantime, they cannot do anything”, stated Roderic O’Gorman.

“I think this response is deeply unsatisfactory. The situation at the 37 route terminus on the Diswellstown Road is extremely dangerous. Often you can have two or three buses parked along the road, waiting for their turn to pick up passengers. It is very difficult for cars to negotiatiate their way past this line of buses and this forces the cars across the white line into the oncoming traffic line. In light of the very high speeds that some cars undertake on the Diswellstown Road, it is miracle there hasn’t been a serious accident at this location up to now”

“Even while Dublin Bus are waiting for the response from the Minister for Transport on the proposal to move the end point of the 37 route to Blanchardstown Road South, I think they must take action. A short term solution could be that the buses could wait on the bus lay-by close to the back entrance to Castleknock Community College. This is a much safer location for the buses to queue than on the open road”, concluded Roderic O’Gorman.

Ends

Further Information
Roderic O’Gorman: 087 417 9777
rodericogorman@gmail.com