DfI accused of slow response over traffic lights repair in Clady

THE secretary of the Clady Cross Community Development Association (CCDA) has criticised the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) for a “lack of urgency” in repairing traffic lights on Clady Bridge.

The issue began in December when a red light on one set of traffic signals failed. Despite being reported by CCDA Secretary Barry Lafferty on December 11, repairs were not completed until January 4, leaving residents and motorists frustrated.

Mr Lafferty said, “I informed DfI via email on December 11 that a red light on the traffic signals on the bridge was not working. I received a tracking number to say the issue was being dealt with and waited for someone to come and fix it, yet no-one came.”

Mr Lafferty continued, “As the days went on myself and other residents became extremely worried about the lights still not working. A great deal of people use the bridge on a daily basis which is on a hill so motorists are unable to see what is on the other side. If the traffic lights are out, motorists just pile on from both sides, leading to one side having to reverse back which isn’t always possible if a line of traffic is behind them.

“It’s a dangerous situation and DfI should have been on the ball quicker to get it resolved… It isn’t good enough that we were left without working traffic lights for so long.”

Mr Lafferty’s fears came to pass on Saturday afternoon, during the cold snap, when he says ‘at least three cars’ were damaged when motorists were trying to reverse back on slippery roads in the face of oncoming traffic.

He fumed, “I knew this would happen eventually but it could have been avoided if DfI had been quicker to deal with the issue.”

After being contacted by the Chronicle a DfI spokesperson said, “The traffic lights were reported as not working on the afternoon of January 3 and were fixed on Saturday January 4 around 6pm.

“If your vehicle has been damaged due to a road or street problem and you believe the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible, you can make a claim for compensation online. There is no automatic entitlement to compensation. Each case must be investigated to confirm whether compensation can be offered.”