Members of the public are being put in serious danger at a busy tourist attraction because of inadequate car parking facilities, a local councillor has warned.
People are in grave danger, at the height of the season in particular, any time they visit Torc Waterfall and action must be taken before a fatality occurs, Cllr Maura Healy-Rae has said.
She wants Kerry County Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to convene an urgent meeting to recognise the threat and to take action without delay.
“Due to the inadequate size of the car park and its failure to cater for visitors and locals who use this special amenity, cars are being parked on the public road which is limiting the roadway for passing vehicles, jarveys, pedestrians and cyclists and, therefore, leaving them all in a precarious position,” Cllr Healy-Rae said.
“Safety has to take precedence. Why can’t we be proactive instead of being reactive?” she asked.
Council officials said the national park officials have stressed that it located within a special area of conservation and there is no potential to increase parking facilities.
Killarney Municipal District Engineer, John Ahern, said he will raise the matter with the NPWS and An Garda Siochána and he is aware that the NPWS is in the process of rolling out new signage.
Mr Ahern stressed that while the car park falls under the remit of the NPWS, there is also an onus on individuals to park their vehicles in a safe manner.
Mayor Brendan Cronin said there is an obvious need to create more parking spaces to alleviate concerns.
“There is a responsibility on the NPWS to create more space, even if it’s for 20 or 30 cars. All that’s required is a bit of imaginative thinking,” he said.
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