Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 July 2004
92 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Transport if he has carried out an assessment on the appropriate traffic speeds on roads such as O’Connell Street and College Green in the centre of Dublin; and if the local authorities have the ability to apply a 30 km/h speed limit on these roads. [20549/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Road Traffic Acts, a default maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour applies to roads in urban areas, including Dublin city centre, unless the local authority intervenes by way of making speed limit by-laws to apply a special limit in lieu of this default built up area speed limit. Under the present speed limit structures the speed limit of 30 mph is the lowest maximum value that can be applied on a public road.
A broadly based working group established last year to review speed limit policies, against the backdrop of the adoption of metric values for speed limits, has presented a comprehensive report that incorporates a wide range of recommendations. The report is available on my Department's website and copies have been forwarded to the Oireachtas Library.
The working group recommended that a default speed limit of 50 km/h should apply in built up areas — this value is very similar to the current default speed limit of 30 km/h in built up areas. In addition, a particular recommendation has been made in relation to the introduction of a special low speed limit of 30 kph for residential areas that meet certain criteria, in particular where appropriate traffic calming measures are provided. The working group envisaged that the application by local authorities of this special low speed limit would be subject to guidelines to be issued by my Department. I have given very careful consideration to the working group's recommendations.
