Sunday, October 19, 2014

Frustration at Garda rally road closure management

There’s a degree of local frustration about the management of the Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stages Rally being run today by the Garda Siochana Motor Club, writes Brian Byrne.

A number of the special stages are being run on a road circuit involving Brewel Hill and Killelan, operated from Crookstown. Among the road closures for the rally is the Kilcullen to Dunlavin Road, at Gilltown Cross.

Massgoers returning to Kilcullen from Germantown Church found their way barred when they got to the cross this morning, and there was no indication of diversions. The marshals at the cross didn’t know where they should go, and it was only after one motorist insisted that they be allowed through that they relented.

Later this morning, the Diary went to the location. A diversion sign at Milemill was actually pointing in the direction of the closed road, with no marshal in attendance there.

At the cross, where some of the more than 100 entrants for the rally were speeding through in quick succession, a number of motorists trying to get to Dunlavin and beyond were forced to turn around, while once again the marshals in attendance had no idea of where they should divert to.

One marshal told the Diary that he was as much frustrated as everybody at what he termed ‘laziness’ at the diversion points, as it seemed vehicles were being let through towards the closed Gilltown Cross.

An attempt to contact the event secretary in Baltinglass resulted in repeated ‘message box full’ response. There are no contact numbers for any officials on the Garda Siochana Motor Club website, nor on any of the entry and regulations forms.

Today’s rally started at 11am and will finish in Germaine’s of Baltinglass after a route of approximately 80 road kilometres and 100 stage kilometres. The Motorsport Ireland permit number is 14/170, and the event is a qualifying round of the Midlands East rally championship. It’s the first time that sections of the event have been held in County Kildare.