Residents of a Co Wicklow village held an early morning protest yesterday to highlight their concern at the danger posed by a constant flow of heavy goods vehicles through the village.
The silent protest organised by the Enniskerry Residents Association began at 7.30 a.m. It did not cause traffic disruption but further protests are planned and some of these may involve blocking rush-hour traffic.
Ms Jackie Cronin, chairwoman of the local residents association, said her house on the main street was "rocked" by passing trucks from 4.30 a.m. each day, using the village as "a rat run" to Rosslare and the M50.
She said residents had been lobbying Wicklow County Council for traffic-calming measures for a number of years. They also wanted a weight restriction on lorries passing through the village.
Ms Cronin also complained there were no pedestrian crossings for the two national schools. "The level of trucks using the village is unreal. Our quality of life has deteriorated rapidly and we have a very, very serious problem with people speeding through the village. There are accidents here nearly every day," she said.
A spokesman for the county council said it agreed at a meeting yesterday to prepare a traffic-management plan for the village within six months.