No plans for more waiting restrictions

This comes after calls were made in June for waiting restrictions to be placed along the street to allow safe pedestrian passage.

Banbridge District Council had unanimously agreed that a letter be forwarded to DRD to question if there would be further proposals to provide waiting restrictions along Rathfriland Street from the Gospel Lane junction to the Kenlis Place junction.

However, the Council has since been informed that the provision of double yellow lines at Gospel Lane and Downshire Place is sufficient for ‘no waiting at any time‘ restriction.

Councillors have been told: “Transport NI has no plans for additional restrictions along Rathfriland Street from Gospel Lane to Kenlis Street.”

It was also highlighted that the PSNI has power to deal with people causing an obstruction on the footway and a copy of the Council’s original letter seeking further restrictions has been forwarded to them.

Speaking at a recent meeting of Banbridge District Council’s Public Services Liaison Committee, Councillor Joan Baird had asked if there would be further proposals to provide waiting restrictions from the Gospel Lane junction to the Kenlis Place junction as she had received many complaints about vehicles being parked on both sides of the road and over the footpath.

Councillors were informed at that time that waiting restrictions could only be provided following a legislative process.

Councillor Ian Burns had explained that residents and pedestrians along Kenlis Street were also experiencing great difficulty due to the number of motorists who parked their vehicles on the footpath during working hours.

He said many pedestrians were having to walk along the road due to the obstruction caused by the vehicles.