LETTER: Bandon business people express their frustration

SIR – The Bandon Business Association would like to express our frustration at the lack of effort to accommodate the businesses and people of Bandon during the ongoing works.

We appreciate that there is bound to be disruption during a significant infrastructure project like this, but the reality is that businesses that survived the floods have unfortunately not survived the disruption to business in the town.

The people of Bandon have been patient over the past number of years, but things have reached a point where there is now a huge frustration from people living in and using the town about the mess they are experiencing as they go about their daily lives. Traffic management, signage and parking are causing huge issues to the people who are living and working in Bandon town every day. There appears to be an indifference and lack of respect for the people who are being affected day in day out.

The BBA and individual business owners are working hard to promote the town organising community activities, festivals, etc to attract people into the town however it is all a wasted effort as the reality we are facing is that people are avoiding the town as much as they can.

When there is a traffic diversion there is very little done to actively manage the ensuing traffic jams. Poor signage doesn’t help, but the effective management of traffic is not happening at all.

It’s not good enough to divert traffic onto a busy T Junction without having people on hand to direct it during busy times. Stop and Go systems need to be manned between 8am and 6pm and not left to traffic lights as the experience tells us that this does not work.

Other towns who have had large civil works have had completely different experiences in relation to co-ordination of works, alleviation of parking, active traffic management and general acknowledgement of the effect of the work on the people of the town.

We are calling on all of the parties responsible involved to take a more pro-active role in trying to make and are organising a multi agency meeting to address these issues as a matter urgency.

Liz Bryan, 

Secretary,

Bandon Business Association.