Concerns over school traffic and the safety of children in Lower Newtown in Waterford City have prompted calls for new solutions to tackle congestion at drop-off and collection times.
A meeting was held at the Woodlands Hotel on Monday night, organised by Fr Liam Power of St Joseph and Benildus Church, where parents and others discussed both short and long-term options, including a turning circle, improved bus services and even a river ferry bus.
Safety concerns
Parents had previously been permitted to use the church car park to drop off and collect children, but this was stopped following safety and liability concerns.
Fr Power told the meeting that a risk assessment identified a high risk of injury to children because the car park is unable to cope with the volume of traffic.
He said there had been five incidents in the space of two weeks and stressed that the decision to restrict access was one the parish “deeply regretted”.
Fr Power also said the parish has a legal duty of care to those using its grounds and that it had “absolutely no option” but to take action following legal advice and the risk assessment.
Turning circle among short-term options
One of the short-term solutions discussed was the creation of a turning circle where parents could safely drop off their children.
The former “Graves” site, behind the Marina Hotel near Waterpark College was suggested as one possible location.
Fr Power told the meeting that developer Noel Frisby has applied for planning permission for a car park at the site and suggested its potential use as a drop-off and turning area should be explored.
Other proposals included buses operating to and from housing estates, carpooling and encouraging more pupils to walk or cycle for all or part of their journey.
BusConnects was also discussed as a longer-term solution, with disappointment expressed over the expected delay to its rollout in Waterford until 2028.
Could a ferry help?
One of the more unusual ideas put forward was the possibility of a river ferry bus serving the area.
Fr Power pointed to existing pontoon infrastructure and examples of river transport in cities including London and Sydney.
He acknowledged such a proposal could be “a few years down the road”, but suggested it was another option worth considering as part of efforts to find a long-term solution to the school traffic problem.
A committee was formed following last night’s meeting, with hopes it will help deliver a long-term solution.
