N.R.A. CRITICISED AFTER TRUCK CRASH
The National Roads Authority must take responsibility for the roads between Mallow and Fermoy and Mitchelstown respectively before fatalities occur due to the poor conditions of the routes, according to local TD Sean Sherlock.
The Labour deputy’s comments came following an accident on the N72 Fermoy-Mallow road where an articulated truck heading in the Mallow direction overturned at Templenoe, near Castlehyde last Monday afternoon. Two units of the Fermoy Fire Brigade, ambulance and garda crews attended the scene.
A spokesman for Fermoy gardai said the driver of the truck was hospitalised as a result of the crash though his injuries are not believed to be life threatening. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
“Both the N72 and N73 cater to thousands of trucks and cars every day yet neither road is getting the attention it needs. The NRA are to be seriously found wanting when it comes to the maintenance of these two major national secondary roads,” said Deputy Sherlock.
In 2007 the N72 road between Fermoy and Castletownroche was highlighted as a major danger in a survey on Irish carriageways compiled by a safety body established to judge the safety performance of Ireland’s roads.
The report by European Road Assessment Programme (EURORAP) highlighted the route, which takes in Ballyhooly, as one of the ten most high risk roads in the Republic of Ireland.
Deputy Sherlock sought funding at the time for improvements to this stretch of road and also called on the NRA to visit and inspect both the N72/73 “As far as I am aware no such inspection has taken place. These roads will cause a fatality - a warning that is falling on deaf ears. The NRA has a responsibility, which is not being met, in terms of carrying out works that will improve safety for all road users. It’s a ridiculous situation in this day and age and I am seeking a meeting with the NRA to discuss the matter,” he added.
Deputy Sherlock told The Avondhu that he fears there will be a fatality on the route if the roads are not widened.
“On certain parts of the road two trucks cannot pass each other safely at normal speed. These routes need funding and when it is considered that these roads are national secondary routes it is obvious that they are completely and utterly inadequate. They are well below the par set by other national routes,” he said.
Statistics in the EURORAP report showed that in the 4 years up to 2006 there were 19 fatal, serious and minor injury collisions on the 15.1km stretch of road from Fermoy to Castletownroche. The report also found that 95% of Irish road fatalities take place on single carriageway routes such as the N72.
Published:
Friday 30th January 6:17pm
