A local group has followed through on its promise to grit a section of the Tarmonbarry to Rooskey road following a number of road traffic accidents caused by icy conditions on the route.
Independent councillor Tom Crosby has previously stated that it wasn’t advisable for the group to carry out the work due to health and safety and insurance liability concerns, but local man, Seán Browne (75), said he decided to raise a Meitheal anyway.
“My own jeep suffered €2,500 in damage following a skid on the road and I was travelling at less than 40 miles per hour. I approached Cllr. Crosby and the area engineer and said local residents could grit the road. While they were sympathetic, they said the answer from the ‘higher ups’ was no. If there is damage caused by a pothole you can contact the council and make a claim, however there are no signs on the road to warn drivers of freezing conditions,” he said.
Seán said he procured the gritting material in Kilglass and salt from North Dublin and with the help of other local residents, formed a Meitheal to grit one of the more dangerous sections of the road.
“We used up all the material that was in the trailer. We did it during daylight hours and there was someone warning oncoming traffic while we worked.
“Some people were reluctant at first but I did a bit of a Michael O’Hehir on it and commentated on the group’s progress and it helped to raise spirits.
“But while I’m all for using a bit of humour, there’s nothing humourous about (skidding on the road and) heading straight for a stone wall!”
Following the group’s gritting exploits, Seán now believes the point has been made and says it’s time to move on.
“I’m a busy man and I don’t have the time to take over the role of the local authority. It’s up to local people to look after their own interests and use democracy and it’s up to local authorities to get their fingers out and work with communities in order to come up with solutions. There is no point in having a democracy if you cannot use it,” he said.
Council statement
In a statement to the Roscommon People, Roscommon County Council has said it cannot issue grit piles to members of the public due to supply, health and safety, and liability concerns.
The local authority says its Winter Service Plan is its commitment to maintaining a level of service on specified roads throughout the county and that gritters are mobilised to respond to disruptive winter weather conditions over a continuous six-month period from mid-October to mid-April.
The council added that it does not have the resources to cover all routes across the extensive 4,000km road network in the county. Therefore, national primary and secondary routes, regional and local roads of national strategic importance and local roads providing access to essential services are prioritised as per the Winter Service Plan (available at www.roscommoncoco.ie).
