Sinn Féin candidate for the European Election, Michelle Gildernew has said that “critical investment” is needed to bring regional and rural roads up to a standard that is safe for road users.
The candidate for the Midlands-North-West region said that she had the “pleasure” of visiting towns and villages, but the standard of the roads she travelled on was “completely unsafe”.
Gildernew said: “We have seen too many lives lost on roads in recent years. It’s clear that while Local Authorities have improvement schemes in place, it seems they are running to stand still, and the scale of upgrades needed cannot be ignored.”
She said that the minister must create a plan for these improvements and seek funding from the EU to make this plan happen.
Rural roads
An Garda Síochána Donegal has reminded road users to be patient if travelling behind an agricultural vehicle, as there will be an increase in tractors / machinery on the roads.
Road users should always be on the look out for farm machinery on rural roads, as they could be exiting fields and farm yards.
Drivers of agricultural vehicles are reminded of the following:
- Wash down all wheels regularly to avoid carrying mud and stones onto the public road;
- Be careful when transporting material such as silage, slurry, sand and gravel so that it does not spill on the road;
- Do not overload trailers that would cause them to be unstable on the road;
- Look out for low bridges, overhanging trees, overhead cables and uneven road surfaces which could cause the load to shift;
- Large farming vehicles should consider using an escort vehicle to warn other road users and ensure that tractors are driven at an appropriate speed for the road conditions;
- Never let an inexperienced driver use machinery;
- Ensure that equipment/machinery has been serviced properly and is in good working order;
- Be careful when using equipment which you may not have used for some time.
The gardaí added that children should always be supervised on farms and visitors who may not be familiar with a farm environment, should also be accompanied.