Gotta share the good news with the list! Thanks, Tom! :-) Ezra
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Irish speed limit signs (Chris' reply) Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 11:49:31 +0100 (WET-DST) From: Tom Wade VMS Systems <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Ezra, The task group reported to the Minister about four days ago. Rather than just get a written report, he requested that they make the presentation to him in person, so he does seem to have taken an interest in this. The report recommended that the speed signs be changed over in September 2004. The background to this is that penalty points for speeding were introduced this year, and has focussed attention on the many inconsistencies in our speed limits. This led to a decision to review the actual limits, and as part of this, change the units to km/h. According to my contact in the Dept, the Minister was enthusiastic about the changes, and coupled with his statements in the press, leads me to be reasonably optimistic about the committment at this stage. The proposals involve changing the speed limit on motorways from 70 MPH (112 km/h) to 120 km/h, national main roads from 60 MPH (96 kmh) to 100 km/h, non-national (typically small) rural roads from 60 MPH (96 km/h) to 80 km/h (50 MPH), the 40 MPH (64 km/h) to 70 km/h, the 30 MPH (48 km/h) to 50 km/h and a new 30 km/h zone near vulnerable areas such as schools. The above appeared in the Irish Times today. The next stage is that this has to be presented by the Minister to Government at a cabinet meeting, and that has to be approved. This is not simply a rubber stamp, as we are facing into tough public spending cutbacks in the December budget. We are certainly quite close. The fact that there is pressure to rationalize the limits means that changes to the signs would be required, and money would be spent irrespective of the units. Up to this the lack of desire to do this was not anti-metric, but more inertia and the 'if-its-not-broken- don't-fix-it" attitude. No definite date will be set until cabinet approval. New cars are still being sold with imperial dash controls. I'm getting a new one at the moment, and I've requested metric speed and odometer. Regards ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Wade | EMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EuroKom | X400: g=tom;s=wade;o=eurokom;p=eurokom; Unit A2 | a=eirmail400;c=ie Nutgrove Office Park | Tel: +353 (1) 296-9696 Rathfarnham | Fax: +353 (1) 296-9697 Dublin 14 | Disclaimer: This is not a disclaimer Ireland | Tip: "Friends don't let friends do Unix !"
