Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pedestrian Crossings.

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

219 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will change RT 206, warrants for pedestrian crossing facilities, to make them less restrictive and to allow for greater local discretion; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, in heavily trafficked urban areas, the warrant of 90 pedestrian crossings per hour is increasingly difficult to meet and results in increased car usage and, also, that a requirement of five traffic accidents in the preceding 12 months is entirely inappropriate. [4050/98]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The current guidelines, RT 206, for the provision of pedestrian crossings set out indicative criteria for the installation of facilities and are designed to ensure that diverse situations are assessed objectively and on an equal footing so as to secure an adequate, but not excessive, use of pedestrian crossings.

The guidelines do not confine the provision of pedestrian crossing facilities to locations with accident records. They allow for the provision of facilities at other locations where pedestrian difficulties may be experienced due to factors such as road width or the speed or volume of traffic. The guidelines are at present under examination by the National Roads Authority with a view to determining whether revisions are required.