2002-07-02 Tom,
Just a silly question? But, isn't the change in highway signs designed to coincide with the change in speed/odometers on the new vehicles? When the government sets a date, aren't the Automakers who sell cars in Ireland required to install metric gages in the cars for sale from that date forward? If the auto industry prepares for the change and is ready on the agreed date, why isn't the highway department? Is it possible, there is resistance from the Automakers so that the highway department just keeps postponing it? The two have to be co-ordinated, no? John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Wade VMS Systems" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, 2002-07-02 12:32 Subject: [USMA:20770] Bad news on Irish metric speed signs > Greetings, > > It seems that the third successive deadline for metrication of speed signs in > Ireland will, like the two before it, be missed. > > I contacted the Roads Section in the Dept of Transport (after the last > election in May, responsibility for roads was transferred from the Dept of > Environment to the Dept of Transport, although the same civil servants are > involved) about the status of the planned metrication. I had reason for > some optimism as the AA newsletter referred to the December deadline, in what > was the first public mention of the project. Unfortunately, the person I > spoke to said that it wasn't going to happen this year, as no funding had been > allocated to it in the budget, and even if funding were to appear now, they > would not be able to do it over the summer at this short notice. > > I am very disappointed, though not really surprised. The Dept of Environment > has been dragging its feet on this since the 1st deadline of 1998-12-31. > > The new Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, was quoted in a newspaper > article recently (I didn't see it) as being in favor of the change, but the > real problem is getting any priority on it, against a background of budgetary > cutbacks. A second problem is given the virulent anti-motorist thinking > infecting many government bodies at the moment, the temptation will be to > take advantage of the changeover and lower all the speed limits (in much the > same way as certain unscrupulous merchants hid price rises in the euro > changeover). This would have the effect of making metrication unpopular with > the motoring public. > > I will certainly write to the Minister, and to the Minister for Trade, Mary > Harney, whose dept set the deadlines, urging her to refuse to grant any > more extensions. I hope any other Irish residents on this list will do the > same. Other EU citizens might also consider writing to them asking why this > is not being done, given the high proportion of EU funding that goes into our > roads. > > I'll keep you informed of any developments. > > Tom Wade >
