11 September 1997 Edition
Picket on RUC HQ
by Laura Friel
A three-year-old girl stands in front of the RUC insignia outside Knock barracks. ``Make Our Roads Safe,'' reads the placard she holds,'' Protect Our Children.'' Located in a staunchly loyalist area, a picket of the RUC's Headquaters is unprecedented. It is a measure of people's anger that a protest is being held here at all.
``End RUC Veto on Our Safety'', reads another child's poster.
The RUC's decision to block the introduction of basic road traffic safety measures in the Poleglass area of Greater West Belfast, has incensed local residents. The recent death of Poleglass toddler, Jodie Nugent, focused community determination to improve road safety in the Twinbrook/Poleglass area. After months of stalling tactics by the Department of the Environment, officals finally admitted it was RUC objections rather than DOE policy which was blocking the installation of traffic calming measures in the area.
``Despite the fact that the Ambulance Service has pointed out that traffic calming within a residential area has many advantages and makes the area safer for the elderly and children,'' said Community Forum spokesperson David Simpson, ``the RUC has continued to exercise a veto over the implementation of road safety measures in this area.''
West Belfast MP Gerry Adams said that by deciding to block the provision of road safety facilities the RUC have effectively placed an entire community at risk. He continued: ``In the past few weeks alone two children have been hurt as a result of uncontrolled road traffic. The RUC, by their decision, must bear part of the guilt for this. The RUC should no longer be allowed to deny this community their right to road safety facilities.''
Local Sinn Fein Councillor, Michael Ferguson, compared safety measures recently introduced in South Belfast's `Holy Land' area to the situation in Poleglass and Twinbrook. ``Colour co-ordinated chicanes, pinch points and raised level entries installed in the `Holy Land' have been highlighted as a model of traffic management in a residential area by the DOE. A greater number of children and elderly people resident in the Poleglass/Twinbrook area must warrant a similar response to road safety.''
At a meeting of Lisburn's Peace and Reconciliation Partnership, when some members called for a minute's silence in acknowledgement of the death of Diana Spencer, who also died as a result of a road traffic accident, Councillor Ferguson ensured Jodie Nugent was not forgotten. ``The public outpourings of grief at the sudden death of Britain's Princess Diana, and subsequent calls for greater compassion by British political leaders, stands in stark contrast to the dismissive attitude which has been adopted following the untimely death of a Belfast toddler.'' said the councillor.
A three-year-old girl stands in front of the RUC insignia outside Knock barracks. ``Make Our Roads Safe,'' reads the placard she holds,'' Protect Our Children.'' Located in a staunchly loyalist area, a picket of the RUC's Headquaters is unprecedented. It is a measure of people's anger that a protest is being held here at all.
``End RUC Veto on Our Safety'', reads another child's poster.
The RUC's decision to block the introduction of basic road traffic safety measures in the Poleglass area of Greater West Belfast, has incensed local residents. The recent death of Poleglass toddler, Jodie Nugent, focused community determination to improve road safety in the Twinbrook/Poleglass area. After months of stalling tactics by the Department of the Environment, officals finally admitted it was RUC objections rather than DOE policy which was blocking the installation of traffic calming measures in the area.
``Despite the fact that the Ambulance Service has pointed out that traffic calming within a residential area has many advantages and makes the area safer for the elderly and children,'' said Community Forum spokesperson David Simpson, ``the RUC has continued to exercise a veto over the implementation of road safety measures in this area.''
West Belfast MP Gerry Adams said that by deciding to block the provision of road safety facilities the RUC have effectively placed an entire community at risk. He continued: ``In the past few weeks alone two children have been hurt as a result of uncontrolled road traffic. The RUC, by their decision, must bear part of the guilt for this. The RUC should no longer be allowed to deny this community their right to road safety facilities.''
Local Sinn Fein Councillor, Michael Ferguson, compared safety measures recently introduced in South Belfast's `Holy Land' area to the situation in Poleglass and Twinbrook. ``Colour co-ordinated chicanes, pinch points and raised level entries installed in the `Holy Land' have been highlighted as a model of traffic management in a residential area by the DOE. A greater number of children and elderly people resident in the Poleglass/Twinbrook area must warrant a similar response to road safety.''
At a meeting of Lisburn's Peace and Reconciliation Partnership, when some members called for a minute's silence in acknowledgement of the death of Diana Spencer, who also died as a result of a road traffic accident, Councillor Ferguson ensured Jodie Nugent was not forgotten. ``The public outpourings of grief at the sudden death of Britain's Princess Diana, and subsequent calls for greater compassion by British political leaders, stands in stark contrast to the dismissive attitude which has been adopted following the untimely death of a Belfast toddler.'' said the councillor.