There has been a major rise in the number of road accidents related to oil spillages across the county.
Sinn Féin Councillor for the Glenties Municipal District, John Sheamais Ó Fearraigh, is seeking an urgent meeting between the competent road safety authorities and An Garda Síochána to discuss the matter.
Cllr Ó Fearraigh has written to officials from Donegal County Council, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and local Gardaí to request a special joint meeting in order to discuss the issue.
He says that action from the various stakeholders is needed if the problem is to be addressed.
He said “Over the past number of weeks I have been made aware of a sharp rise in the number of smashes and collisions on many of the county’s busiest roads caused due to oil being present on the road surface.
“While the cause for this apparent increase in the prevalence of oil on the roads is not yet known, it is clear that greater collaboration between the various parties and bodies is required if we are serious about tackling what is fast becoming a major threat to road safety.
“I have already written to the RSA, the Road Safety Officer with Donegal County Council and local Gardaí to ask that they attend a special joint meeting of the various competent stakeholders with the view to discuss this problem in greater detail, to agree a way forward and to adopt a strategy aimed at alleviating this threat.
“While it is obviously impossible to completely eradicate the problem of oil spilling onto the road surface, I believe that by taking some pro-active steps then much more can be done to not only reduce the prevalence of such incidents, but how we react to oil spills and the measures put in place immediately following an oil spill can be improved so as to minimize its risk.
He added “Clearly, action is required before someone is seriously injured or worse and I am taking the first step by inviting those with an interest in this area to come forward and work together.
“While I await the response of the various authorities and agencies, I would like to use this opportunity to again urge everyone to ensure that if they suspect that their vehicle is leaking oil to have it professionally checked, and should you witness oil on the roads to report it to Gardaí straight away.”
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