‘Frustration’ at Louth County Council response to safety measures call along ‘speed trap’ in Drogheda

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

A Drogheda councillor has expressed “frustration” with Louth County Council’s response to calls for traffic calming measures at Lower Mell, saying it appeared “the Department of Transport make decisions for the council.”

Cllr. James Byrne submitted a motion to the September meeting of Drogheda Borough District, asking for measures to be introduced at Lower Mell, specifically at a stretch of the road between the Montessori/Church and the Circle K station.

He made the calls “in response to a serious accident on the stretch of road recently and numerous minor collisions in recent times.”

David Hanratty, head of Operations and Environment Delivery, said the council “currently do not have access to collision data (on the basis of GDPR requirements)."

He added: “The Department of Transport provided the council with nine locations for 2026 safety interventions, based on collision data and site surveys they conducted, the stretch you mentioned is not featured for 2026 and therefore will not be funded. The R168 in question had traffic calming installed at Cement/Slane in 2020.”

Cllr. Byrne said he was “frustrated with the response, if I’m honest.”

He added: “We are always asked to bring requests for traffic calming measures... based on collision data, and now we discover that the council don’t have access to that data. I don’t understand why not.”

He said “it appeared the Department of Transport make the decisions for the council.”

Cllr. Byrne described the R168 as “a long stretch of road”, adding that there were a number of locations along the route which would be in need of traffic calming measures.

"But I don’t think that negates the need for traffic calming at this particular location. There is definitely something that needs done there, and the collision data exists to back that up."

Cllr. Paddy McQuillan agreed, saying he was aware of the incident highlighted, adding “that somebody wasn’t killed is a miracle”. He said there was “a lot of speeding that goes on there, particularly at night time.”

He criticised what he said was “an anomaly” in the data taken from speed cameras, where he argued that an average speed was taken.

"The cars that are speeding are really speeding, it is like a race track.”

He said the council “really do need to do something here.”

Cllr. Pio Smith said he supported the motion, adding that the road at Mell was particularly busy, as it services the town centre from the M1.

He pointed to the schools along the route, and new housing developments, saying the traffic was increasingly heavy.

"The problem is that it is a long, long stretch, and when some people get onto it they think they are in a Formula One car."

Cllr. Smith pointed to reports made to gardai by residents of a housing development along the route, and argued that the criteria “shouldn’t just be collision data, there are lots of near misses as well. It is clear by looking at the road just how busy it is.”

Cllr. Declan Power supported the motion, saying the road was “notorious for speeding.”

Cllr. Debbie McCole added her support, saying it was “a very dangerous stretch of road, a speed trap” and backed calls for safety measures.