NAAS: 10 April 2001: by Trish Whelan. The provision of a new pedestrian exit from St Corban’s Primary School onto the Swimming Pool Car Park is being considered by Kildare County Council, following a request from the school’s management.
This was revealed during a presentation by the school’s Parent’s Council to Naas UDC, when school principal Declan McGovern highlighted the danger from traffic faced by 523 pupils.
Their concerns included car parking outside the school, traffic congestion on Corban’s Lane, the need for speed ramps, for barriers along footpaths, and the need for another Lollipop person at the school.
A new pedestrian exit and a pick-up/drop-off point in the Swimming Pool car park - owned by KCC - could mean that half the children currently using the highly congested Corban’s Lane would be taken out of the danger area.
Mr McGovern said more children should take the bus to school, but Parents’ Council members noted that the option of driving a child to school was more attractive than paying £9 a week per child for school transport.
The provision of cycle lanes in Naas to allow children to cycle to school in safety was also suggested by the principal, though he noted that given the existing traffic levels in the town, many parents didn’t want their children cycling through the streets. The school has recently started a Cycle Safety Programme with 80 boys participating.
It was also noted that a ‘pedestrian phase’ on the traffic lights at Murtagh’s Corner, promised two years ago, had still not been provided.
In response to a query from town clerk Declan Kirrane as to whether any consideration had been given to moving the school, the principal said none had, and that any such move would simply create extra traffic in Naas because its traditional catchment area included Sarto Park and Patrician Crescent, from where children currently walked or cycled to school.
©2001trishwhelan/knn