Speed limits reductions are ‘utter nonsense’

Members of Mayo County Council have kept up their attack on the proposed new reductions to the speed limits on Ireland's roads.

Belmullet-based Cllr Gerry Coyle described the plan to reduce speed limits on local roads from 80km to 60km as "utter nonsense". The reductions were to come into effect in November but have been deferred to the spring.

At the December meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District, Cllr Coyle told council management: “We know these proposed speed measures did not go through at the county council meeting, so what is going to happen from here? The whole thing is pure and utter nonsense and it is a sure indication of a complete lack of investment that the roads are being brought down to 60km/h. It beggars belief what is going on, with some of these people who are making up the rules. I can guarantee that whoever advised the Minister on this did not live in villages around Belmullet or rural Ireland."

Cllr Coyle said he understood the motivation was road safety but it was the wrong approach.

“Look, there isn’t a person I know who doesn’t want to save lives, but there are other measures around speed and safety. Anyone walking on a road should have a high-vis jacket on and we should be installing speed ramps in every town and village where there is a school and shops and people walking. They have them all over the country and they can be fitted in easily and removed again if they are not needed.” 

Head of the district, Seamus O'Mongáin, said the item would be included on the January agenda of the municipal district pending feedback from the council's roads department on the members’ decision at a previous meeting to reject the speed limit changes. He added that the council's Director of Roads may also have corresponded with the Department of Transport on the matter and he would follow it up in time for the meeting in January.