While my Department is responsible for general legislation in regard to traffic matters, it does not have a direct role in relation to local traffic management, including traffic calming, which is a matter for the relevant local authorities. Section 38 or the Road Traffic Act 1994 empowers such authorities, in the interest of the safety and convenience of road users, to provide such traffic calming measures as they consider desirable in respect of public roads in their charge. To support the provision of such traffic calming measures, a non-statutory Traffic Management Guidelines Manual was published in 2003 jointly by the then Department of Transport, the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and the Dublin Transportation Office and distributed to each road authority setting out guidance on best practice. Guidance is given in Chapter 6 on traffic calming, including the types of roads on which particular types of traffic calming measures are appropriate. Section 13 of that Chapter deals with the specific details of speed ramps and other such measures. The Guidelines can be accessed from the National Transport Authority website (www.nationaltransport.ie).
