The minister for infrastructure has said he doesn’t see the traffic management in St Mark’s as a ‘big problem’.

He was asked in the Tynwald sitting on Tuesday by Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse what progress has been made with proposed changes to traffic management in and around St Mark’s.

Tim Crookall explained that the Department of Infrastructure met with Malew Commissioners on December 2 and agreed that traffic calming planters should be installed.

He added that the department planned to engage with residents for their preferred options but due to Covid-19 related backlogs, it has had to focus on other areas as a matter of priority. It will carry out resident engagement after TT this year, according to Mr Crookall.

Mr Moorhouse felt the government was ‘going backwards’, with residents last being consulted in August 2020.

Mr Crookall added that he didn’t know ‘how big a problem’ this was and that he wasn’t being told particular concerns by anyone but Mr Moorhouse.

He reiterated that officers would speak to residents following the TT period and that there are planned works for the A5.

This means that whatever is decided to be put in as a result may not be installed until after those works have taken place.

Mr Moorhouse made the point that this would provide a narrow opportunity for the public to be consulted.

This follows a crash in January 2021 which gave way to more focus on traffic management in the area.

Speeding in the small southern village has long been an issue, with a 2020 survey finding that 64% of people speed through the village, breaking its 30mph limit.

Previously in 2020, a 40mph ‘buffer zone’ was introduced on the southern approach to St Mark’s, coming from the direction of Ballasalla.

In March last year, police conducted speed checks, catching one car doing 47mph in the 30mph zone.