The Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2004 provide powers to the Minister for Transport to prescribe maximum speed limits for classes of vehicles and to regulate for the driving of such vehicles on the public roads.
The EU speed limiter directives require that goods vehicles having a design gross weight exceeding 12,000 kg be equipped with speed limitation devices that must be set so that the vehicle speed cannot exceed 90 km/h. From 1 January 2005 that requirement was extended to all new goods vehicles over 3,500 kg. In addition, the mandatory speed limiter requirements for passenger vehicles that accommodate more than eight passengers is that the permissible maximum speed be 100 km/h except for buses with provision for standees, in which case the limiter should be set so that the vehicle cannot exceed 65 km/h.
The purpose of these EU directives, which have been transposed into Irish law, is to limit to specified values the maximum road speed of certain vehicles. The directives do not constrain member states from setting lower speed limits for the classes of vehicles concerned. The Road Traffic (Ordinary Speed Limits — Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2005 (SI No. 9 of 2005) made by me on 12 January 2005 prescribe maximum speed limits for certain classes of vehicles from 20 January 2005. The speed limit of 80 km/h has been prescribed for vehicles that have accommodation for more than eight passengers, for goods vehicles having a design gross weight in excess of 3,500 kg and for any vehicle towing a trailer, caravan, horsebox etc. A speed limit of 65 km/h has been prescribed for double deck passenger vehicles.
In setting the new metric speed limits for these classes of vehicles I made no change to the speed limit policy that had applied since 1992 other than converting the previous maximum limits to the nearest equivalent metric value. In addition, I also made the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (SI No. 12 of 2005). These amend Article 80 of the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 to provide that, from 20 January 2005, the maximum speed that a bus — single deck or double deck — may be driven at when carrying standee passengers is 65 km/h.
I made further regulations on 12 January, namely, the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (SI No. 11 of 2005). Driving rules for traffic on motorways were introduced in October 1997 under the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997 (SI No. 182 of 1997). One of these 1997 regulations prohibited the driving of a vehicle, for which an ordinary speed limit of not more than 50 mph is prescribed, in the traffic lane nearest the right hand edge of a carriageway having more than one traffic lane except where it is necessary to proceed in that lane due to an obstruction or because another lane or lanes are for the time being closed to traffic.
I made no change in the 2005 regulations to the policy that has applied since 1997 for the relevant classes of vehicles other than converting the previous maximum limit of 50 mph to the nearest equivalent metric value, which is 80 km/h. I made it clear when I announced the vehicle speed limits concerned on 17 January last that I intend to revisit the matter of maximum speed limits for classes of vehicles later in the year. This will be done in consultation with the relevant interest groups including the Coach Tourism and Transport Council.
