Sept 7, 2011,

Following a recent motion passed by Galway City Council to only “consider” an Outer City Bypass (OCBP), Fine Gael Senator Fidelma Healy Eames has branded it as disgraceful in light of the public outrage at the traffic mayhem, and has made a proposal to the Council for immediate application.

“For Galway City Council, as an elected council, to only consider an OCBP is a disgrace. The council cannot seriously expect the general public to put up with the current chaos. Equally businesses may have a legitimate case to refuse to pay rates if City Council is not addressing the serious traffic situation in Galway. It is time the City Council faced up to the traffic problems gripping the city and come up with a workable short term solution to ease the traffic congestion.”

“Short term solutions should include a key person centrally managing the traffic lights, so that s/he can in real-time monitor the traffic situation and adjust the traffic light timing accordingly to relieve backed-up traffic. This happens in other cities where traffic is much heavier. Additionally, by adding an amber light before the green light such as they have in the UK, at say Moneenageisha Cross, drivers can be prepared to move as soon as the light turns green, allowing up to 5-6 more cars to pass through the lights.

“Furthermore, as a member of the Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs, I will be examining how the case of the OCBP can be expedited and what other options Galway has to reduce traffic in the city. Until such a time, the Council must face up to its responsibilities and produce a workable solution to Galway’s traffic problems as a matter of urgency.