Denis Naughten
Question:1253 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport his plans to restrict road openings during business hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16642/02]
Written Answers. - Road Openings.
Any proposals to restrict road openings during business hours are a matter for road authorities. Section 101D of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, empowers prescribed road authorities to give directions to any person carrying our road works, other than emergency works. These directions may specify matters such as the times at which road works are to be carried out. Dublin City Council, for example, is making extensive use of these powers through its Directions for the Control and Management of Roadworks in Dublin City.
In addition, the Communications (Regulation) Act, 2002, requires network operators to obtain the prior written consent of the road authority to carry out road works, other than emergency road works. The Act also provides for the attaching of conditions and restrictions to the consent, which could relate to times at which road works are to be carried out.
The effectiveness of existing controls, particularly those provided for in the 2002 Act, will be reviewed over the coming months and the need for further statutory powers in this regard will be considered.
Furthermore, a utilities and statutory bodies working group, which is chaired by the Dublin Transportation Office and is representative of the main utilities sectors, is working towards standardising the general approach to carrying out road openings through agreed codes of practice.