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Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
New bus routes vital to improve ‘connectivity over Castletown River'
Cllr. Ciaran Fisher said the traffic problems that emerged from the roadworks being carried out has 'once more drawn attention to the poor connectivity across the Castletown River.' Speaking after the meeting, he told 'While I welcome the improvements to Bridge Street and Linenhall Street, and I think they provide a much nicer approach to the town over the Newry bridge, I'm wary that anti-car design may cause it to be a traffic hotspot. Time will tell on that one, but one thing that is for sure, is that the lack of bus connectivity forces thousands of people every week to use their cars to get around.' 'The roadworks will only be finished at Bridge Street and we'll be looking at the Lisdoo junction and Armagh road improvements, so there is more congestion in the same area to come.' Cllr. Fisher pointed to a recent survey of traffic which estimated that on a typical workday, Newry bridge had 5000 plus cars on it. 'The Táin bridge has traffic of 16000+ cars on a similar given day. Approximately 4000 people a day leave the 'northern region' of the Dundalk area to come south into its other parts.' He added: 'If Transport Ireland wants to make an instant improvement in how people travel, and to reduce the traffic, a new bus route servicing the north of the town is needed.' He highlighted gaps in the bus services in the south of the town, saying there are 'no stops on the Avenue Road or Tom Bellew Avenue, not to mention the sprawl of houses on the south west of the town.' "Ath Lethan and the Lisdoo/Armagh Road are crying out for a bus service and have an enormous two way bus demand, in and out of the town.' He explained: 'This is why I have resurrected this with the Active Travel team and implored them to get behind these proposed routes. There was a proposal to do so in the Local Transport Plan and I think it should be not just looked at, but enacted.' At the Municipal meeting he asked about the prospect of this happening, and mentioned how this would take cars off the road and reduce traffic. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The meeting heard that the Council have been recently in touch with Transport Ireland about making this a reality. "The conversations have centred around routes and road ownership so far. And while there is a way to go yet, it's a stepping stone in the right direction.' He added: 'Meanwhile, the population on this side of the town is only going to grow. There is considerable strain on the water infrastructure on the south of town and planning has been granted for a sizable development out the Lisdoo Road in recent times, this only strengthens the case to get the transport infrastructure in place.' The Dundalk Councillor said: 'I'm asking for a carrot before stick approach, make it easier to people to choose not to take the car and sit in traffic, before talking about reducing road space, reducing car parking spaces and making it constantly more expensive to run a car.' Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wicklow County Council chief says Tánaiste has not responded to N11 junction closure letter
There has been widespread opposition to the proposals, which form part of the N11/M11 Bus Priority Interim Scheme. Residents protesting the move recently assembled at the sod turning on the new Fassaroe Park and Ride Facility to hand deliver a letter to the chief executive asking her to keep a promise that she would raise their concerns with the Tánaiste Simon Harris and Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien. Following a question from Cllr Joe Behan at the June meeting of Wicklow County Council, Ms O'Gorman indicated she had written to both the Tánaiste and Mr O'Brien with no response. 'All I have gotten is an acknowledgment from the Department of Transport, from the minister's office, nothing further by way of correspondence.' Cllr Melanie Corrigan highlighted the 'huge' public concern that exists around the proposed closure and called on council officials to explore other options to facilitate a bus corridor along the route. Responding to Cllr Corrigan, Ms O'Gorman said they are currently preparing tender documents for phase three of the scheme. 'As part of that process, as part of the brief, we want the consultants to further assess and examine alternatives to the Herbert Road that's currently set out as part of the preferred option. So that will be written in to the new tender document that will be going out shortly.' Speaking after the meeting, which took place on Monday, June 10, a spokesperson for Mr Harris stressed that the Tánaiste 'has made his position on keeping Herbert Road open very clear'. They added: 'He met in person with the residents' group last Tuesday at Kilbride Church, where he reaffirmed his commitment to opposing the closure. 'He also agreed to arrange a meeting between Herbert Road residents and Minister O'Brien. 'Chief executive Emer O'Gorman recently confirmed, in the Wicklow Council chamber, that she has been contacted weekly by the Tánaiste's office regarding the issue.' In addition, the Tánaiste has sent more than 3,000 letters to local residents about the Herbert Road. He has also previously written to the Transport Minister about his opposition to this closure. This article was updated on June 16, 2025 to include comment from Tánaiste Simon Harris's spokesperson. The headline was also altered. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Scoop
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
AI Gun Video Of Nelson Councillor Campbell Rollo Sparks Warning For Voters
Article – Max Frethey – Local Democracy Reporter The councillor says voters should always look for an authorisation statement or something that's genuine. Nelson City councillor Campbell Rollo has condemned an 'AI-generated' video of him that was posted to social media. The video, which featured the first-term councillor shooting a military-style firearm, was uploaded to a Nelson community Facebook page on Friday, but was later taken down. It had been posted by an account called Nelson NZ Video Game Buyer, with a caption: 'This is who your [sic] voting for Nelson community! How shameful, encouraging violence!' Rollo said the video was generated by artificial intelligence and was 'quite taken back' when he saw the video online. 'The video was not real. It was generated by someone using my Facebook picture without my knowledge.' A watermark reading ' – a generative AI website – appeared in the corner of the video, and the backdrop and clothing being worn by Rollo in the video match his Facebook profile image. 'I literally had no idea where it had come from. I quickly went back and kind of scrolled over it; could tell quite quickly it was AI-generated,' he said. 'I really just think someone was having a wee bit of fun. But yeah, in hindsight, probably a bit too far.' He said it was worrying to see that some commenters had wondered if the video was real and urged residents to be 'very mindful' of online content, especially as the local election approaches. 'If you see something come up of a political figure or someone who's running for council, I would certainly be looking for an authorisation statement or something that's genuine.' Nelson Mayor Nick Smith echoed Rollo's concerns. He said it was a good thing the video was 'so fake' and that most people would be able to determine the post was made by 'somebody being mischievous'. 'However, it's a real warning, particularly as we go into the local elections, for people to be cautious of false claims being made to besmirch people and to influence how they vote.' Smith added that Rollo, the Tāhunanui liaison councillor, was 'very effective' in his role. 'He's done a great job for Tāhunanui and associating him with gun violence is very unfair.' After the video was taken down, Rollo found the outpouring of support from residents and his fellow elected members 'super humbling'. 'The amount of phone calls and messages I had from people just reaching out, making sure I was okay. It's quite cool,' he said. 'At the end of the day, we are humans that are trying to do the best we can for the community.'
GMA Network
11-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos open to having another power provider in Siquijor
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is open to the possibility of having another electric provider in Siquijor amid the power crisis in the province. In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Marcos was asked if it is possible for Siquijor to have another electric provider. This came after he directed an investigation into the operations of the Siquijor Island Power Cooperative (SIPCOR). ''Everything is on the table. We just have to examine what is the best solution. We have some very good ideas na. The NEA administrator is here and he has put out a framework on what we need to attend to, what would come first, etc. We will give you more detail after the detailed planning for that,'' he said. According to Marcos, the government has six months to implement the short-term interventions to address the power crisis, including the use of generators. In that six months, he emphasized the need ''to repair damage that has been caused by the collapse of the power supply.'' ''We have given ourselves a deadline of six months for the short-term solution. By six months from now, we will then impose whatever new arrangements that we have to do, so that six months from now, we do not have to resort to emergency genset,'' he said. The President also said SIPCOR should live up to its commitments in providing electric supply in the province. Meanwhile, Marcos said two generator sets would arrive in the province from Palawan to provide power supply to residents. The provincial government of Siquijor through its Sangguniang Panlalawigan has declared a state of calamity due to the worsening power crisis. The approved resolution will empower the provincial government of Siquijor to access its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF), specifically the Quick Response Fund (QRF), to implement immediate interventions. Marcos inspected the SIPCOR power plant in Siquijor to address the recurring power interruptions in the province and to ramp up actions to address the power supply deficiencies.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cleanup begins for Greenwood, Big Spring after wind and hail damage
PERMIAN BASIN (KMID/KPEJ)- The small communities of Greenwood and Big Spring suffered some damage from hail and high winds over the weekend, now, some local businesses have come together to help clean up after the storms. One local business was the Permian Star Construction. They were out in the Greenwood community helping with boarding up windows, skylights, and fences. 'Trying to give back,' Eugene Heflin, of Permian Star Construction, said. 'The community has been good to us. I want to teach my son to give back to.' Heflin said he will be out helping as long as he needs to for his community. In Big Spring, the historic Hotel Settles was also damaged. Owners were too busy to interview with us as they were cleaning up glass and boarding up windows. Because of the extensive damages, the Mayor of the City of Big Spring, Robert Moore III issued a Declaration of Local Disaster and said he has been in contact with State officials. Also starting next week, a city-wide residential large item pick-up will take place for storm-related debris. The residents can bring in vegetation, fencing, roofing, siding, and building materials. Also, in Midland the Midland County Office of Emergency Management has asked residents to report any damage caused by the recent storms that produced straight line winds and hail. Simply scan the QR code below to file a damage report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
