Letter to the editor: zebra crossing on Harbour Street

Editor,

Permit me to enquire via your publication as to whether any of your readers can enlighten me and the residents of Harbour Street as to why the long standing zebra crossing near the traffic entrance to the Harbour Shopping Centre has been removed totally.

This crossing had the dual effect of giving pedestrians safe passage across a busy road and in addition because of the raised nature of the crossing, it also acted as an effective, and much-needed, traffic calming measure.

The result of this badly thought out removal of a pedestrian crossing is to increase danger to pedestrians in general, including new residents of the street, some with very young families, plus hundreds of school children who access the shopping centre, both going to and coming from school.

It has also had the knock-on effect of doubling the speed of traffic on the street, a significant danger to all pedestrians and the traffic exiting from various inlets to the street.

While I appreciate there is a new traffic light system some 240 metres up Harbour Street from the Castle Street junction, it does not solve the issues I have highlighted.

In short there is a serious safety matter that residents have expressed understandable concern about, and I sincerely hope the relevant authority (s) and, indeed our local public representatives, will reflect on and take steps to correct before we have a serious accident or loss of life.

Thank you.

Yours,

Terry Toal,

Harbour Street,

Mullingar.