Traffic calming needed in village to protect families

There's been a call for speed calming measures to be introduced in Moneymore following a two-car collision.

Ulster Unionist Councillor George Shiels expressed concern that there is the potential for further accidents considering the volume of traffic using Bridger Street-Moneyhaw Road as a shortcut to the M1.

Police said the collision happened at the junction of Moneyhaw Road and River View around 2.40pm on Wednesday.

“A number of people were treated by paramedics at the scene, however, there were no reports of any serious injuries,” said a spokesperson.

NI Fire and Rescue Service also attended the incident which happened close to a number of properties.

Councillor Shiels stressed that it would be wrong to comment on details of the actual collision while the police investigations are ongoing.

He said the volume of traffic going through the village had risen since the completion of the Magherafelt bypass.

“The accident on Bridger Street approach merely highlights the danger that exists for families living alongside a busy thoroughfare that wasn’t designed for the current level of traffic,” he continued.

“Local people complain that they take their life in their hands each time they walk out of their front door. ‘Something needs to be done’, I’m told.”

Councillor Shiels suggested traffic calming measures might help in the short-term.

“I believe that traffic needs calming in the village of Moneymore and one way this could be achieved is by installing traffic lights at the Bridger Street-Cookstown Road junction,” he went on.

“This is only a suggestion, but lights would allow equality for motorists at this bottleneck and would have the bonus of causing a ‘traffic-pause’ throughout the village.”

He added that an adequate off street car park is also an urgent need and ground is available.

“This would take some traffic off the main thoroughfare - of course provision of a Moneymore bypass is most definitely a necessity,” he said.

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