'New speed limits are even confusing Mr Google'

Councillors in West Mayo continue to be exercised about the symbolic five black lines on road signs for the new 60kph speed zones in the county.

The matter was raised again at last week's meeting of Westoprt-Belmullet Municipal District by Fine Gael Cllr Gerry Coyle who asked management: “How much did the five lines signs cost and who paid for them? There is an awful difference between education and intelligence and along the way they seem to have got mixed up. Certainly, if these people had got a couple of clouts in school they would not be putting up these signs. I never saw such craziness, putting down the speeds in the first place. I go home some nights and just wonder about it all. I have never seen such nonsense in my entire life.” 

The Erris councillor said the speed reductions along local roads was also creating a new problem for school buses in his area. 

“With the school bus that goes to Ballycroy to collect kids, all the roads there now are 60kph and they will need another bus to get around them because it is taking so long to get in and out. People on half-hour lunch breaks can’t get in and out to places in time anymore."

Cllr Coyle said elected members of Mayo Co Council had "a gun put to our head" in relation to the speed limit changes. 

"The council was always in charge of the speed limits before, but did they change that law? Next thing you’ll have someone coming along on a racer or maybe a marathon runner who will be overtaking motorists in Geesala.” 

Noting that Google Maps changed the speed limits to 60kph immediately, Cllr Coyle noted: “It tells me the speed limit is 80kph now, but it was 60kph on the first day. Maybe Mr Google is as confused as we are.” 

Cllr Chris Maxwell said people just don’t understand the signs or the logic behind them. 

“Why could they not just write 60 on those signs? This country is gone haywire. If you were a holidaymaker or from a foreign country you would not know what it meant.” 

Cllr Maxwell said he also did some research on the cost of the signs and discovered that Donegal County Council paid €311 for every post and sign, which did not include the cost of putting them up. 

“You’d get bamboozled where money is being spent in this country. Why could they not have kept it simple?” 

Cllr John O’Malley said some people thought the black lines were a warning about Japanese Knotweed.