'Mallow businesses suffer 30% fall in income due to traffic jams'

Councillors demand action as the Mallow bypass is not expected to be built for some years

Chronic traffic congestion is being blamed as businesses in Mallow Co Cork report a dramatic drop in income for the first two months of this year. Picture: Larry Cummins

Businesses in a Cork town have reported a dramatic drop in income for the first two months of this year amid claims that chronic traffic congestion is driving shoppers to other areas.

Councillors have demanded something is done about worsening congestion in Mallow, especially as it will be some years before a bypass is built on the northern side of the town.

Chairman of the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council, Fianna Fáil councillor Pat Hayes, said businesses in the town reported a 30% decline in takings in January and February compared to the previous year.

While the weather played some role in the decline, he maintained that congestion is the far bigger factor.

“People are not coming into the town because of traffic. It is easier for them to go to Blackpool [shopping centre] in Cork where there is plenty of [free] parking. That’s another thing — we also need another car park in Mallow. We don’t have enough spaces,” Mr Hayes said.

Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council chairman Pat Hayes said Mallow firms suffered a 30% dip in earnings in January and February. Picture: Brian Lougheed

He made his comments after Fianna Fáil councillor Gearóid Murphy called on the council to make some tweaks to traffic management and called for a study to be carried out in the town centre to identify measures to alleviate congestion.

Mr Murphy said: “We know the long-planned relief road will help. But, being optimistic, it could be three or four years before that’s built, but it could be longer.

“In the meantime, Mallow is continuing to grow and there will be more traffic in the town centre.

“Congestion is quite frankly at unacceptable levels in the town centre. 

I don’t think it is acceptable that we do nothing about it until the relief roads comes.

Mr Hayes added: “We have to look at a way of relieving congestion in the short term in order to sustain businesses. We’re going to have to do something to try to improve it.”

Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden said heavy goods vehicles are clogging up the town centre and suggested they should be made divert around it via Park Rd.

Labour councillor Ronan Sheehan claimed that council officials seemed to be ignoring the problem.

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Council officials denied this and said they are hoping to carry out a traffic survey as part of a multi-million euro regeneration of town centre streetscapes under urban renewal grants.

Municipal district officer Claire Barr said the Mallow relief road project is currently being advanced to planning stage by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Cork National Roads Office and, once constructed, “should positively impact traffic flows” in the town centre.

“Any significant amendments to road layout here would be premature pending delivery of the relief road,” she added.

Mr Murphy had earlier asked that the council reinstate a second filter lane at the Plaza area to aid traffic flow. Ms Barr said that wouldn’t be happening.