Calls have been made for the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to take action as locals fear for safety as traffic view is continually obstructed by lorries parking at a bus stop situated near the Dernawilt crossroads, Rosslea.

Patrick McCabe, a local resident of the area reported his concerns to the DfI on Wednesday, May 15. In his report he noted that lorries parking at a bus stop situated by Dernawilt crossroads “completely block the view of oncoming traffic.”

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Mr. McCabe voiced his concerns following his observation of a potentially hazardous situation he experienced one morning. He said: “I could see tiny kids getting on to a bus and there was a lorry parked on the other side of the road blocking the view of traffic that comes down the hill and at that moment three big lorries passed, not twenty feet between them, at about 60mph, flying through the intersection as they are legally entitled to do.”

He added: “It’s nobody’s fault, except maybe a little bit of lack of planning or development of a plan as this neighbourhood has changed. I’m not really trying to blame anybody, I’m just trying to say that action needs to be taken before somebody dies.”

Two days following Mr. McCabe’s report to the road service, a two-vehicle road traffic collision occurred at the Dernawilt crossroads. The cause of the incident is yet unclear.

Speaking on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Sergeant Laird said: “Police received the report of a two-vehicle road traffic collision at the Dernawilt crossroads in Enniskillen on Friday May 17.”

Sergeant Laird continued: “The collision involving a red Ford Focus and a white Volkswagen Passat was reported to police around 5.10pm. The male driver of the Focus was taken to hospital for treatment of a hand injury.”

“Enquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have captured it on their dash cam to contact police on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 991 17/05/19.”

On Tuesday May 21, a spokeswoman for the PSNI stated the following update: “A 46-year-old female driver of a third vehicle has since been reported to the Public Prosecution Service for driving without due care and attention.” Mr. McCabe, who came upon the road traffic collision on Friday shortly after it had occurred, said: “It’s another accident at Dernawilt, they just keep happening.”

Councillor Garbhan McPhillips commented that lorries and other vehicles restricting the traffic view by parking on the Dernawilt Road has been a “recurring incident.”

He said: “As the person who reported this to the road service said, if this continues, it could result in an accident which of course, unfortunately, did happen last Friday. In saying this, we do not know if this accident occurred because of the restricted view.”

Noting how he has previously raised concerns to the road service about the situation, Councillor McPhillips added: “I commend the person that took the time to report this issue also. I will look to get new line painting on the bus stop to further enhance strictly no parking.”

He concluded: “This particular road can be very busy at times so I would urge those to refrain from parking on the bus stop or in a position that is restricting other road users from the road/junction.”