Pencil bollards urgently needed outside schools

PENCIL bollards need to be installed outside two Ballyfermot schools to prevent a “serious accident”, according to Cllr Vincent Jackson (Ind).

Speaking at the South Central area meeting, Cllr Jackson said safety for kids and pedestrians is a “major issue” at St Michael’s and St Gabriel’s schools, who “have over 800 students between them.”

Pencil bollards have been installed outside schools in Dublin for a few years now, in an effort to make it safer for children and parents to walk to school.

“One of the principals was on to me last week, and the necessity for pencil bollards, and if anyone doesn’t know Ballyfermot, the two schools are located next to the big church (Assumption).

“It is the major intersection in between Kylemore Road and Ballyfermot Road and all the major traffic goes through there,” said Cllr Jackson.

“It will not suffice that it is on a list that is going to wait another three or four years, they need the pencil bollards outside the schools.

“I’m just putting ourselves, i.e. the local authority on notice, there will be a serious accident here at this intersection.”

Jackson requested a road engineer from the council to come out and visit the area within the next two weeks.

In response to Cllr Jackson, Dublin City Council said they would get onto the schools team to see where Ballyfermot is on the works schedule at the moment, and that they will see if a roads engineer can make a visit to the site.