Drumcondra residents have urged Dublin City Council to intervene as cars repeatedly drive on the footpath outside their homes on a narrow road.
Andrew Cahill lives on Richmond Road in Drumcondra and says the issue has been a long standing one for residents, who are particularly concerned that it will impact local children.
Andrew has a four-month old baby, who is being taken for a walk in a buggy in the video. He admits he has some sympathy for the drivers as the road is too narrow for a two way system, but worries for the safety of children in the area.
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Andrew told Dublin Live: “I’ve been a resident on Richmond Road for almost four years now. Young families are moving because they’re afraid of their kids playing on the paths and getting hit by a car. It’s something we’ve been in discussion with the council on for years.”
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Pedestrian access can also be severely limited on the street due to parked cars. Andrew says that his wife has had to resort to walking their child’s buggy onto the road as the cars leave no room for them to get them by.
The driving on the footpath is now a daily occurrence, which Andrew believes has noticeably worsened in the past year. The latest attempt to curb the problem came in the form of planters, which local residents were told to place on the paths outside their homes in order to discourage drivers from passing by.
However, Andrew says that this measure has proven useless as drivers merely get out of the car to move the planters, or worse, drive over them. A pot plant that was placed outside one residence in recent days has since disappeared.
He said: "Drumcondra has so much potential. We want to make the road and area more appealing to both residents and pedestrians alike. We would be open to any solution because residents are at their wits’ end."
He hopes that Dublin City Council will engage with residents in order to clamp down on the illegal driving. He believes that a one way system currently being trialled on a residential street in Ranelagh should be considered for Richmond Road.
The Council previously recommended introducing a parking system to deter drivers from accessing the route. However, Andrew said many residents objected to this plan, as it would make the route attractive to more drivers and could result in more speeding offences.
Local residents are meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss the ongoing problem. Residents may resort to an official protests if their concerns remain ignored, Andrew says.
Dublin Live has contacted Dublin City for comment.
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