Mayo councillor outlines priorities with new speed limits
Cllr Loftus said the Government needs to fund traffic calming measures such as raised pedestrian crossings in order to bring speeds down on urban roads.
A North Mayo councillor has said that due to a shortage of Gardaí, Mayo County Council will have to take enforcement of proposed 30km/hr speed limits for urban areas into its own hands by developing further traffic calming infrastructure.
Cllr Michael Loftus made his comments at yesterday's meeting of the Ballina Municipal District.
“If the new regulation of a 30km/hr speed limit comes in, we’ll have to slow traffic down. There is not enough Gardaí there to enforce new speed limits,” he said.
Cllr Loftus said the Government needs to fund traffic calming measures such as raised pedestrian crossings in order to bring speeds down on urban roads.
“If the Government doesn’t provide funding for that sort of thing, why bring in a speed limit if you don’t give us the ability to slow traffic down?" he asked. "Everyone agrees that raised pedestrian crossings will slow traffic down.
“Reducing the speed limit is important but we need other aids to help us reduce the actual speed on the road.”
His comments were supported by Cllr Marie-Therese Duffy, who said that a similar raised ramp was installed in Enniscrone to positive effect in recent years.
“Raised ramps are the only thing that would physically slow down traffic. I’ve heard so many talk about Lord Edward Street and the need for a raised ramp there.”
