David McNarry MLA UKIP Leader NI Assembly News Release
Roads Service – Negligent - McNarry
Date: 14 Jan 14
I intend to raise the issue of Road Gritting or the lack of it in the Ballygowan
area at tomorrow’s DRD Committee meeting.
I was astounded when yesterday in the Assembly, the Roads Minister, Danny
Kennedy informed the House that ‘due to differential weather forecasting’
Ballygowan and the surrounding areas were not gritted at the same time as all
other areas. This is sheer nonsense and to hear the Minister feebly make such
a lamentable excuse for what was effectively ‘negligence’ is reprehensible.
Early morning in the Ballygowan area was like a skating rink on the roads. For
the area to have been overlooked when such conditions were clear to see, didn’t
actually require any miss-reading of a weather forecast – the freeze was there
on the ground – you couldn’t miss it.
I have no idea if the conditions were a contributing factor in the fatal accident
on the Ballygowan Road Saintfield involving Mr Drake of Ballynahinch, but my
heart goes out to his grieving family.
Irrespective, the road conditions were not good in the early morning hours of
Monday.
I live close by the road, I travel it most days and it would be
dangerous in freezing conditions.
I am sure we will all be thinking of Mr Drake’s family at this time.
But let me also say there is a salutary lesson for the Roads Service ‘when in
doubt you must grit’ that you neglected to do this in my area is shocking. I am
calling on the Minister to issue a direction to grit not doubt. It was scandalous
that the Ballygowan area was put at risk all because some idiot didn’t recognise
the freeze in time!
End