Write a commentA Newry, Mourne and Down Councillor has expressed dismay that an accident occurred days after he called for schools in the area to be included in the local salting network.
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Cllr Barra Ó Muirí was speaking after yesterday mornings road traffic accidents on Carrickrovaddy Road outside Newtownhamilton.
Cllr Ó Muiri stated "It was only last Friday that I contacted the Department of Infrastructure to highlight yet again the absolutely atrocious and hazardous conditions on this road. The schools in this area and myself have repeatedly pleaded with the department to address the lack of salting on this road year in, year out."
He continued "Just like every other frosty morning, I lift the phone to Carrickrovaddy and Ballymoyer Primary Schools to ask Mr Tierney and Mr Toner the Head Teachers for a quick assessment of the condition of roads outside their schools. The answer is invariably the same, no salt, roads are treacherous, and pupils, parents and staff are repeatedly placed in harms way by the inaction of the very department responsible for keeping our roads safe"
Describing the most recent incidents the Sinn Féin elected representative said "This morning, on the Carrickrovaddy Road, a school bus crashed and ended up in a field close to the Primary School and a car crashed and left a lady needing medical attention"
Cllr Ó Muirí concluded "I have campaigned for years for safer routes to schools, highlighting both Carrickrovaddy and Ballymoyer as examples of where the Department of Infrastructure are getting it wrong. Just last week I issued a statement asking when these roads would be treated equally to other roads in the district. It is not good enough in 2017 that school children, parents and staff are being placed in danger by lack of salt on these roads. Together with MLA Megan Fearon, I will be asking for a meeting with the departments section managers in a bid to keep all routes to school safe and to prioritise these routes as a matter of urgency."
