RESIDENTS on the northside of Cork city are threatening to hold a sit-down protest on the busy north ring road, claiming that massive volumes of traffic have made life unbearable in the area.

Two local councillors have backed the residents in their campaign, claiming that urgent solutions are needed.

Speaking at a meeting of Cork City Council, local councillor Ted Tynan said that residents have put up with chronic volumes of traffic for far too long.

“The north ring road was a temporary arrangement made 30 years ago that is still in place,” the Workers’ Party councillor said.

“Every single day, there are massive volumes of traffic bumper to bumper, resulting in huge amounts of noise and pollution. The situation has gotten so bad that residents are considering a sit-down protest during rush hour traffic to send a message.”

Mr Tynan said he would “have to support” the protest, claiming that long-term solutions are badly needed.

The councillor was backed by other representatives on the northside of the city, who said that the lack of a northern ring road means that residents in housing estates face articulated trucks and heavy volumes of traffic every day.

Vehicles travelling to major employers and industrial estates in the area have no alternative but to travel through housing estates, causing a headache for the residents.

Fianna Fáil’s Tim Brosnan backed Mr Tynan’s call for action, claiming that the area has been all but ignored for years. “There is far more traffic going through the area now than ever before,” he said.

“Even the plans in place, like the proposed junction at Tinker’s Cross, won’t make a difference; that would result in even more traffic pouring in.

“The only message that this Government seem to understand is protest. I will be out there, side-by-side with the protesters and we will back traffic up to Dunkettle if we have to.”

The roads directorate at City Hall said it hopes to see a number of major schemes progressed in the area in the coming years.