Urgent call for ramps as child almost hit by car in Letterkenny housing estate

There has been an urgent call to install ramps in a Letterkenny housing estate after a child “could have been killed” by a speeding motorist.

The plea for further ramps to be installed at Wood Park Lismonaghan, to control and slow down traffic was heard at a meeting of Letterkenny-Milford MD. 

Cllr Gerry McMonagle brought the motion forward after he was contacted by the parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old child who “almost got knocked down” in the area. The father managed to pull his child away just in time.

“This has had an awful effect on the child’s parents,” said Cllr McMonagle. “And on the person driving, who apologised.”

Cllr McMonagle outlined how the estate has one continuous road, which has ramps in some sections but not where the incident took place.

The council heard from David McIlwaine from the Council’s Roads section, who informed that “the roads in the estate are not in the charge of Donegal County Council, therefore the provision of any additional traffic calming measures at this location are outside Donegal County Councils control.”

“This child could have been killed three weeks ago,” said Cllr McMonagle. “The father witnessed it, he wasn’t well for days after and the mother was the same. The only way to slow down traffic is to put in ramps. Saying we don’t have money is not good enough. A 30km road sign is not sufficient. I don't want to hear anymore that there’s no funding, we need to drill down on this.”

Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh seconded the motion, saying that it was a “scary and frightening” example, and that the council should treat traffic calming in estates with urgency.

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Cathaoirleach Ciaran Brogan said he had also spoken with the “very distressed” parents and that he fully supported the motion.