South Dublin residents held a "pavement protest" this morning due to issues with cars mounting footpaths which they claim is putting pedestrians in "extreme danger".
Belmont Avenue in Donnybrook is described as "a narrow two-way street which isn't wide enough for two lanes of traffic as well as a parked car".
This results in cars tending to "mount the footpath to allow the other cars to pass".
St Mary's National School is on the street, which adds to the congestion issue at the start and end of the school day.
Protesters gathered on the footpath this morning to spread their message that "pavements are for pedestrians".
They said this has been an issue "for decades" and urged Dublin City Council to act to "ensure there is change in Belmont Avenue and it is made safe for pedestrians, cyclists and particularly the children".
The protest was led by residents living on the road as well as parents of children who use the path on their daily commute to school.
Una Morrison, who uses the path to bring her children to school everyday, was among those protesting.
She told Dublin Live that cars mount the footpath in order to let each other pass, creating a danger to pedestrians and cyclists.
She said: "The issue is that the footpath is very narrow and I can't get my double buggy down it at particular points because the lampposts are too close.
"So the footpath itself is narrow, and then the road is also narrow. It's too narrow for two cars to park, particularly because there's parking on one side.
"That means that traffic flowing in one direction or the other tends to get backed up. It tends to happen that the cars on the side that doesn't have the parking tend to mount the footpath to allow the other cars to pass.
"It happens everyday where you see kids having to stand back because cars are mounting the footpath."
Una said that changes need to be made so children can travel to school safely.
"We came out because we want to make the issues visible to both drivers and people using the street but also to the council to show the urgency of the issue.
"Or you see kids trying to get around these cars as they're going to and from school. There has to be a safe route for children to go to school."
Councillor Deirdre Conroy said in a motion to the council that "there have been a number of near misses with pedestrians including small children" and warned "it is only a matter of time before something worse happens".
The council responded that a report is underway that will be presented to the South East Area Committee in the first quarter of 2022.
Dublin Live has contacted Dublin City Council for comment.
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