Why bypass the need for a bypass?
Taken from the Impartial Reporter, 7th May 2008
Why bypass the need for a bypass in Enniskillen?
e-mail: rodney@rodneyedwards.co.uk
The roads around Enniskillen are really starting to irritate me, to the point I’d much rather down ten pints of broken glass than waste another second of my life sitting in ANOTHER mind-numbingly tedious queue. And it’s getting more and more unbearable.
Work at adding another lane along Henry Street / Sligo Road is underway, much to the aggravation of us motorists that now have a daily ringside view of lorries, diggers and yellow high-visibility vests. As I write this, I’m resisting the urge to use one of the traffic cones on the individual that dreamt up the whole sorry thing.
Am I the only one that’s realised that the only thing an extra lane does is fill up with even more traffic, resulting in more, er, traffic? Without an actual bypass in Enniskillen, no extra lane anywhere is going to solve the immense traffic congestion in the town – take note Fermanagh Council. Certainly not on the Sligo bloomin’ road that’s for sure. If I had a pound for every text I’ve received from a listener stuck on that road in the mornings, I’d have enough money to buy a hovercraft for commuting. And don’t get me started on those lumps of tar they call “speed bumps” – an appropriate name, because once you’ve passed them all, you have to speed up a bit after spending half the day going over them. However, I digress.
Dublin Road to Town Centre to Queen Street to Henry Street to the Queen Elizabeth Road – you name the area, and these days, a usual short journey has turned into a 30min + nightmare. I should know, I’ve just had one whole week of sitting in my car every day, going nowhere. I was even able to eat an entire sandwich one morning, while waiting and waiting on the Wellington Road and not moving an inch for 20 long maddening minutes.
An unpleasant undertaking, only made worse by those that barge into your lane without asking you or change lanes without there being room for their vehicle, so they sit diagonally across the road, waiting to move and blocking you in the process. Before changing back into your lane once the traffic flow has moved up a bit and then flashing their hazard lights to thank you for allowing them to ruin your life even further by making you even more late.
Some say, public transport is the answer to stress-free roads, and that we should ditch our cars for the bus or even a taxi. I’ve spent years taking buses and taxis. They can be unreliable, noisy and grubby. It would take a substantial increase at running my car or a substantial decrease in cost of public transport to force me out of using the comfort of my motor. Others think the government should limit the number of vehicles per family, to about two or make neighbours “car share” trips, like the school run. And the most common cry from friends of the earth is that we should all cycle or walk everywhere instead - which is about as useful as my car without any fuel.
Surely the only answer is a big ‘ole bypass. So come on, when are we going to have one? Your thoughts please.
Rodney Edwards presents the Bigger Breakfast Show 7-11am, Mon-Fri on Vibe FM 105.3FM.