Dilemma for motorists at yellow box in west Mayo town

MOTORISTS in Westport are getting caught in a yellow box at the clock junction when pedestrians step onto nearby courtesy crossings.

Instead of clearing the box, as required by law, they are having to pull up when pedestrians appear.

The dilemma was raised at a meeting of Mayo County Council's roads committee by Christy Hyland.

He explained how you come to the town clock junction to turn right for Mill Street or left for Shop Street. There's a yellow box - a clearway that you must not enter unless you are free to go through it and out the other side.

However, a few yards on from the clearway sign there's courtesy crossings, and when someone puts their foot on a crossing you have to stop in the box, meaning you are breaking the law.

It needs to be looked at, said Mr. Hyland. Drivers make their move when there's no one on the crossing, but just as they go through the clearway sign people are on the crossing and they have to stop.

The general point was made that the location of pedestrian crossings is generally driven by where people want to cross.

In this case, pedestrians will quickly move across and the car can progress.

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