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.