Brendan Smith
Question:277 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he proposes to vary the speed limits on the main arterial routes and minor and country roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21201/04]
View answerThursday, 8 July 2004
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A review of the present speed limit structure was carried out in 2003 against the background of the requirement to changeover to metric units of measurement for speed by end 2004. The broadly based working group who carried out the review recommended that maximum speed limits should range from a high of 120 kilometres per hour — equivalent to 74.580 miles per hour — on motorways to 50 kilometres per hour — equivalent to 31.075 miles per hour in built-up areas. The working group also recommended that a special limit of 30 kilometresper hour — equivalent to 18.645 miles per hour — should be applied on a very restrictive basis in residential areas where traffic calming measures have been provided. Within that range, the working group recommended that the speed limit for national roads should be 100 kilometres per hour — equivalent to 62.150 miles per hour — and that the speed limit on non-urban regional and local roads should be 80 kilometres per hour — equivalent to 49.790 miles per hour. The latter represents a significant decrease on the speed limit of 60 miles per hour that applies to what is the vast majority of the rural road network.
The Road Traffic Bill 2004, published on 11 June, proposes legislative measures to provide for a new metricated speed limit structure based on the recommendations made by the working group. The Bill is awaiting a timetable for its passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas.