Fresh calls have been made for road safety improvements in Armagh after a fatal collision on the Portadown Road intensified concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety across the city.
Newry and Armagh MLA Gareth Wilson has accused the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) of waiting for a tragedy before acting on concerns raised about The Mall and the wider city centre road network.
The DUP representative spoke after receiving a response from Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to issues he had raised about safety in the city. His intervention follows the recent death of leading traditional musician and educator Eithne Vallely in a collision on the Portadown Road within Armagh city limits.
The location of that fatal collision is separate from The Mall, but Mr Wilson said the death had heightened long-standing concerns among local residents and road users about how pedestrians and traffic move through Armagh.
Concerns over a reactive approach
Responding to the Minister’s acknowledgement of locally raised concerns, Mr Wilson said he was disappointed that the Department continued to rely on a reactive approach to potential safety problems.
“I welcome the Minister’s acknowledgement of the concerns that have been raised locally regarding road safety within Armagh city centre,”
He said the Department’s response stated that it had not identified a pattern or trend in collision history that would justify intervention at this stage. While accepting that statistical analysis has a role, Mr Wilson said residents should not have to wait for a series of serious incidents before preventative action is considered.
“Whilst statistical analysis has its place, local residents and road users should not have to wait for a pattern of serious incidents to emerge before preventative action is considered.”
He also expressed sympathy for Ms Vallely’s family and friends, saying her death had understandably increased concern in Armagh.
Call for a comprehensive review
Mr Wilson said road safety assessments should be part of an ongoing process that identifies risks, listens to local concerns and acts before accidents happen. He said he would continue pressing the DfI to examine safety arrangements in and around the city.
The MLA is calling for serious consideration of measures intended to improve safety for pedestrians, motorists and all other road users. He said Armagh needed a culture of prevention rather than reaction, and pledged to keep pressing for improvements wanted by local people.
“I will continue to press the Department to undertake a thorough review of road safety arrangements in Armagh and to give serious consideration to measures that can improve safety for pedestrians, motorists and all road users,”
The source material does not state what specific measures the DfI may introduce or when any review could take place. It records Mr Wilson’s call for further action following the Minister’s response and the fatal collision on the Portadown Road.
