Aontú Clare representative and chair of the Safer Clare Campaign June Dillon has called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to urgently prioritise an existing request for a speed limit reduction on a dangerous stretch of road in West Clare, warning that further delays could come at an unacceptable human cost.
Ms Dillon said the issue is no longer simply about identifying the danger or making another appeal for action. Local concerns have already been raised about road conditions and safety along the N68 and N67, and a submission seeking a reduction in the speed limit for Daragh and other areas are already with TII.
“We are not asking the TII to begin listening. We are asking them to act on what they have already been told,” Ms Dillon said.
“The people who travel these roads every day know their dangers better than anyone. They know the junctions, the blind spots and the stretches where speed can turn a moment’s misjudgement into a lifetime of heartbreak.
“These are not people looking for special treatment. They are people asking for something very simple, the opportunity to travel safely on the roads they depend on.”
“There comes a point when a warning must become a priority. We cannot allow another tragedy to become just another statistic, another expression of sympathy, or another reminder of what should have been done sooner.
“Every road fatality leaves a family facing an unimaginable loss. No decision can undo that heartbreak, but timely action may help prevent another family from experiencing it.”
She stressed that the views of local road users must carry significant weight in decisions affecting their safety.
“The people closest to the danger should not be the furthest from the decision. Local knowledge is not an inconvenience to be filed away. It is an invaluable warning system, and it deserves to be treated as such.”
Ms Dillon concluded by calling on TII to urgently progress the existing submissions and work with the relevant authorities to secure the earliest possible implementation of appropriate speed reductions and safety measures.
“I am asking the TII to move this request to the top of its priorities, provide a clear decision and establish the earliest possible timeframe for action.
“Road safety cannot be measured simply by how many reports are completed or how many meetings are held. It must be measured by how many tragedies we prevent.
“The warning signs are already there. The concerns have already been raised. The submission has already been made. What we need now is action, because paperwork can wait, but lives cannot.”