A GOVERNMENT task force yesterday set December 1 as the target date for the
â10m metric speed signs switchover - but the plan immediately ran into
trouble.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council has told Transport Minister Seamus
Brennan and the National Roads Authority (NRA) it will not increase the
controversial 40mph speed limit on the Stillorgan dual-carriageway at RTE.
This is because the council has serious safety concerns about such a move and
wants to keep the existing limit, it wsa learned yesterday. The minister has
the power to override the council and raise the limit, despite the safety
concerns.
Local authorities will erect 58,000 speed limit signs in kilometres per
hour and take down existing signs in miles per hour during a three-day period
up to December 1, the Task Force on Metrication decided.
The exercise may some cause confusion for motorists, who face being caught
for speeding as a result of the changeover. This is because both sets of signs
will feature on some roads until the changeover is completed. Some limits are
being rounded up, others down. The limit on back roads is being cut by 10mph.
The signs are costing â9m, while a total of â1.5m has been allocated for an
information campaign. But Mr Brennan has to approve the deadline set by the
metric task force and may decide it is too tight. However, the changeover must
be completed before January 1 and the task force says that December 1 is the
preferred date. Other major changes agreed include a time restriction of 12
months on special speed limits erected during major roadworks.
As revealed in the Irish Independent yesterday every motorist will be
issued with a 'ready reckoner ' to help them cope with the changeover to
metric.The new speed limits are: non-national roads 80kph (50mph), a drop of
10mph; national roads 100kph (62.5mph), up 2.5mph; 120kph on motorways (nearly
75mph). Local authorities can bring in new 30kph (18mph) limits at schools and
other high risk locations.
Treacy Hogan
Environment Correspondent
