Ramp call after child is injured

Householders in the area, which is located off the Banbridge Road, were promised that speed ramps would be installed last year - but they are yet to see these plans materialise.

One local resident, who is heavily involved in working with the local community, voiced his concern after a car hit a child at the weekend:

“A young boy - about eight or nine years old - was knocked down on Friday,” Mr Beck explained. “My heart was in my mouth when I went out to the road - cars go speeding past here, with no consideration for who is on the road.”

The incident on Friday was not the first time a child’s life has been in danger, and locals feel that the situation has reached breaking 
point.

“Fortunately, the boy was just grazed this time - but he could have been seriously injured,” Mr Beck said.

“A lot of the kids here go to an after-school club at the community centre each afternoon. They get picked up from that at about half past five, when the road is really busy with traffic.

“Many drivers use Carrick Drive as a shortcut to by-pass traffic jams at rush hour and, without ramps to slow them down, they go extremely fast and don’t have time to see whether there is someone on the road. It really is a priority now to ensure that measures are taken to prevent future casualties.”

UUP MLA Sam Gardiner was contacted by locals, and has promised to pursue the case with the Department for Regional Development. “I have been in contact with the Department to see what can be done,” Mr Gardiner said.

“I am fully supportive of taking these measures to protect children in the area. I’m pushing the Department to take action and, although they have not given me an indication of when the work will be carried out, they have assured me that the installation of speed ramps on that road is on their list.”