Frustrated businesses considering not paying rates until traffic problems sorted

A Mullingar councillor says that he has been contacted by a number of local businesses that are considering not paying their rates until the town's traffic problems are sorted.

Cllr Ken Glynn, who raised the issue once again at the October meeting of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, told the Westmeath Examiner that businesses in the centre of Mullingar are becoming increasingly frustrated at the council's failure to address the town's traffic problems.

"Many businesses are not happy. I have had three businesses tell me they are considering withholding their rates, another couple of businesses have expressed concerns in relation to access to the town.

"It's everyday [people raise the issue of traffic], anytime I talk to a businessperson they say it to me. Anytime I meet someone they say that I should keep shouting and keep pushing.

"I am sure that there might be some people who think it is working fine, but that's not what I am hearing."

At the September meeting of the municipal district, Cllr Glynn asked the executive to look at introducing temporary measures that would improve traffic flow in the town while a new transportation study is being drawn up.

Director of service David Jones told Cllr Glynn that the local authority hopes to have a response from the firm that manages the traffic light system in time for the November meeting.

However, a frustrated Cllr Glynn says that he can't see why it is going to take so long.

"I don't believe for one moment that they can't carry out some form of tinkering that will make it easier for people to go about their daily business."