ROADWORKS CAUSE CHAOS IN FERMOY
There was uproar in Fermoy this week as confusion regarding the whereabouts of the temporarily relocated bus stop on MacCurtain Street led people on a wild goose chase around the town.
Due to planned enhancement work on the road on MacCurtain Street the bus stops were relocated across the river outside Abbeyville House Guest House. Fermoy businessman John O’Mahony, who runs Annie’s Restaurant on MacCurtain Street, was fuming.
“This is an absolute joke. At 8.30pm on Tuesday, August 31 a lady came into the restaurant asking us where Abbeyville House was, as she wanted to catch the bus to Dublin. Off she went across the bridge to wait for the bus which duly came and went without stopping. She came back into the shop and gave me a hard time for giving her the wrong directions. This poor woman had to stay in a B&B for the night as a result.”
ANARCHY AROUND HERE
Mr O’Mahony added, “I spoke to a bus driver from Bus Eireann this morning (Wednesday, Sept 1) who stopped outside my shop at the usual bus stop. He said that nobody had told him that the bus stop was being relocated. It is anarchy around here this morning; people have no idea where they should be waiting. It would make more sense to have relocated the bus stop outside Cllr Hanley’s shop, as there is plenty space, and it’s only around the corner.”
PLACE IS A MESS
John O’Mahony also commented on the roadworks which commenced on Monday last on Connolly Street in Fermoy, “The town council are now carrying out roadworks on Connolly Street, what are they thinking?
“I spoke with town engineer John O’Leary and he said that the money was allocated only two weeks ago and they wanted to do the work while the weather was good. It’s ludicrous doing this work at the same time that MacCurtain Street is being worked on. The whole place is a mess.”
BUSINESS DOWN TWO THIRDS
“My business was down two thirds yesterday (August 31) as there are barricades all the way up along from my shop. What happened to the promise they would work in sections - how can I carry on a business like this? It doesn’t make sense having barricades outside my shop when they haven’t started work there yet. If it comes to it I will park my car outside the door. I will have no other choice,” Mr O’Mahony concluded.
MICHAEL’S RESPONSE
In response to Mr O’Mahony’s comments, Cllr Michael Hanley told The Avondhu, “The decision to have the bus stop relocated outside Abbeyville House was supported by the gardai, and it is of a temporary nature. I have no problem with the buses stopping in the square because their stay is of a short duration.”
PERSONALLY ABUSED
“I and other councillors have been personally abused and disgracefully attacked in relation to the work on MacCurtain Street. This is an NRA project that is being carried out by Cork County Council and supported by the elected TDs and town councillors.
"Fermoy Town Council did not request these enhancement works but they are badly needed and will continue through the town as part of a long-term programme. The expectation was that it would be done in stages; this is not necessarily easy to give affect to. I have done a lot of work for this town, ” Michael Hanley concluded.
Finbarr Byrne of the National Roads Office of Cork County Council echoed Cllr Hanley’s comments, “Everyone was in agreement that the temporary bus stop be relocated to outside Abbeyville House, Bus Eireann, Arkle, the town council, the guards. There was never any issue about the bus stopping outside Hanley’s shop.”
VERY CONFUSING
The Avondhu spoke with passengers awaiting a bus to Cork, “I was over at the Abbeyville House stop and waited 20 minutes but no bus turned up, so I came back here to the old bus stop. I hope I haven’t missed the bus, as I need to get to the city, ” Kristina Murphy advised.
“It’s all very confusing, ”John Curran of Rathcormac told The Avondhu.
Cllr Noel McCarthy commented, “I must commend the work that has been done but, personally, I think the work on MacCurtain Street should be carried out in sections, so there is minimum impact on the businesses here.”
Cllr John Murphy told The Avondhu, “People should have been made aware of what was happening and when. It’s not right having old people trek across the bridge to the bus stop.”
INFORMED BUS EIREANN
In a comment to The Avondhu, a spokesperson for the contractors carrying out the works said, “We informed Joe Kelliher at Bus Eireann last week, that the bus stop would be relocating as of 4pm on Tuesday August 31. It is not our responsibility to inform each one of the drivers.
" With regard to the complaints about the length we have sectioned off on MacCurtain Street, we never agreed to working on 400m sections. We need to barricade what we have done as this is our only entrance for tractors etc. We don’t want someone crossing the road and being knocked down by a tractor.”
Published:
Thursday 2nd September 6:48pm
