Road safety officer with Mayo County Council, Noel Gibbons, told members of the roads and transportation SPC there has been a reduction in the number of road deaths nationally and in the county, with six road deaths in Mayo to date this year.
Even though this news was welcomed by members of the SPC, councillors did bring up the issue of hedge-cutting on the county’s roads, as this is impeding safety on our roads.
Councillor Jimmy Maloney said that the roads are in a “terrible state” from overgrown hedges and briars which needs to be dealt with if we are “genuine about road safety”. Cllr Michael Holmes agreed “hedgecutting has to be a priority” and said it is crazy that hedges cannot be cut in summer so as not to “upset the birds” regardless of road safety. The councillor recalled an incident on the road to Westport from Mulranny, where a large lorry knocked a tree which hit the back of his car and fell onto the bonnet of the car behind. Incidents like these are putting “lives in danger”.
