asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the increase in the number of fatal accidents on level crossings used by CIE rail services; and what steps will be taken to prevent such accidents in the future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Level Crossing Accidents.
7.
From 1961 to 1970 the number of accidents per annum at level crossings on the CIE rail system dropped from 38 to six and with the exception of 1967 when there were seven fatalities, four of which occurred in one accident, the number of fatalities shows no upward trend, varying from nil in the years 1961, 1963 and 1970 to one or two in the remaining years. All of those fatal accidents, except two, occurred at unattended crossings at which CIE have no statutory obligation to provide attendance.
As a result of a special investigation carried out by CIE in 1965, the board have taken certain measures to improve safety precautions at unattended crossing. Additional warning signs and whistle boards have been erected and steps have been taken to improve visibility where this is practicable.
The board have also, in collaboration with the traffic section of the Department of Local Government, produced two safety films for showing on TV—one relating to unattended crossings and the other to the automatic barrier type crossing. In the films the proper method of using the crossings is demonstrated.
The question of safety at level crossings has also been under examination by my Department in consultation with the Department of Local Government and CIE. As a result of this examination, it is proposed to install automatically controlled warning devices instead of gates at a number of selected unattended crossings and provision has been included in the Transport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1971 to enable this to be done. Provision has also been included in this Bill for an increased maximum penalty of £25 for failure by a user to close the gates at an unattended level crossing.
May I ask the Minister if he is satisfied that the proposals now put forward will have the effect of eliminating all accidents at these level crossings?
This cannot be guaranteed but we are going as far as we can in this very desirable direction.
Will the Minister state what recommendations came from the level crossings working group which was set up by his Department in 1963 and which meet regularly? Will the Minister state, also, whether the provision in the 1845 Act, which was recently repealed, whereby trains must slow down to five miles per hour on approaching level crossings, was ever obeyed?
It was. We have had a lot of discussion on all of these aspects in the current Transport (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, the Report Stage of which will be taken after Questions and many of these aspects referred to by the Deputy have been covered.
What about the working committee in the Department?
It is about them I am speaking.