Councillor Helen Farrell with taxi drivers in Lucan
Taxi drivers raise issues over village roadworks
Taxi drivers in the Lucan area have raised concerns about the ongoing roadworks in the village.
The taxi drivers successfully got the council to move the proposed bus stop back by a metre, allow four spaces to be retained by them and are looking into the potential for an after-hours feeder area for taxis also.
However, taxi drivers are worried about other aspects of the new road layout plans, including the reduction of two lanes into one going south.
Councillor Helen Farrell noted taxi drivers are still concerned about the traffic congestion issues that will pop up from these works.
Cllr Farrell stated: “It is only now that the true impact on traffic has become apparent to many people and there is great concern that the planned changes will negatively impact an already congested village, and impact negatively on local businesses in terms of customer footfall as a result.”
Lucan is already known as an area with notable traffic congestion due to its proximity to the M50 and commuters’ use of it as an alternative.
Full planning permission was granted for the layout changes, which are scheduled for completion in November.
A taxi rank is set to be created at Dispensary Lane/Adamstown Road while an updated junction on the Lucan Road/Adamstown Road and raised pedestrian crossings on Main Street will also be implemented.
Traffic management measures will be required to complete the works at the Village Green, which also include an amphitheatre.
Councillor Liona O’Toole wants the community voice to be at the centre of discussions about the road layout changes, noting that the move of a bus stop has already made conditions worse.
Cllr O’Toole offered an anecdote: “I witnessed the [temporary] bus stop, the cars not being able to proceed beyond the bus – two cars at the traffic light junction and the rest of it was empty – and it took a couple of minutes for the bus then to re-engage.”
The Independent councillor has called for a pause to the works so that these voices can be heard and can influence the changes to ensure that they accommodate their needs and not hinder their movement.
Cllr Farrell believes that a consultation will not need to take a lot of time and mentioned that she understands that cars may not be the priority when it comes to these works.
However, the Lucan representative stated that traffic flow should not be impacted so much in exchange for more accessibility options.
“We can’t be implementing things that will have a massive knock-on effect throughout the village as a whole,” Cllr Farrell declared.
“I know that the transportation review is coming up in January – that’s really welcomed – but I would say that it’s important we consult with people who are driving in the area and working in the area.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
