Kilkenny meeting hears of little appetite for pedestrianisation or one-way system

Retailers and those present at last week's meeting on the future of shopping in Kilkenny voiced little or no appetite for any change to the current system of traffic management in the city centre.

Cllr David Fitzgerald, who chaired the event, asked for a show of hands from anyone who would like to see pedestrianisation or a one-way system introduced, and no hands went up. One business representative, Martin Costello of Murphy’s Jewellers expressed interest in a ‘Shared Space’ model.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr Costello said the focus should be on trying to solve the parking issue, rather than contemplating different traffic systems.

“Why are the council constantly trying to solve an issue no one seems to have? Why are we trying to change what works?” he said.

High Street business owner Maria Dunphy said she did not really see traffic as an issue, and the same debate had been going on for decades.

“The traffic is working, and there is rarely congestion in the city centre,” she said.

One contributor said the only time there was really congestion was Saturdays, and that there was a danger of messing around with traffic too much.

“I hope we don’t create a situation where there’s no traffic,” he said.

The meeting also heard that Commercial Rates and the problem of parking are the two biggest issues facing business in the city centre.