The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, has threatened to remove the power from local authorities to set speed limits on national roads in their areas if limits are not increased at up to 43 locations around the country, writes Liam Reid
Mr Brennan's Department has prepared a preliminary list, which is being sent to local authorities around the country, earmarking specific stretches of road where it believes the speed limit may be too low.
The Minister told The Irish Times that he was considering legislation which would give greater powers to the National Roads Authority (NRA) in relation to speed limits on national routes if local authorities failed to take action on his latest initiative.
The change would be introduced under new road traffic legislation which is currently being finalised, and which will bring in a range of new measures, including an on-the-spot disqualification system for drink drivers and the privatisation of speed cameras.
The speed limit list of 43 locations is a preliminary one, and the Minister has also written to local authority managers asking them to carry out a general review of speed limits to identify if there are further road stretches which should be changed.
The list includes some stretches which have become notorious for Garda speed traps, including the Belfield flyover near Stillorgan, Dublin, and the Lucan Road in west Dublin.
The initial list was drawn up from submissions by motor industry lobbyists, including the Automobile Association and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry.
It identifies specific stretches of road, many of dual-carriageway standard, where low speed limits have been set without any clear safety reason, and suggests specific increases of between 10 m.p.h. and 30 m.p.h. Most of the proposed changes are on main routes close to cities.Mr Brennan rejected suggestions that increasing speed limits on roads sent out a bad safety message.
He said unrealistic low speed limits brought the whole speed limit system into disrepute, and there were numerous cases of this around the country.
"For people to respect speed limits they must have confidence in them, and believe that they are sensible."
While he could not say that he supported every case on the list, as he did not have personal experience of each location, "at a minimum each of them should be reviewed.
"I believe substantial change is needed in a whole lot of them."
Mr Brennan envisages the changes taking place as the imperial speed limit signs are replaced with metric ones towards the end of the year.
The changeover to the metric system will lead to an overall reduction in speed limits, he said, with the national speed limit on smaller roads reduced to 50 miles per hour or 80 kilometres per hour.
"The bulk of the speed limits are coming down from 60 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour, so any of the proposed increases are very limited in that respect."
At present, the setting of speed limits within the national limit system is a reserve power for local authorities, who usually consult the NRA and Garda beforehand.
Mr Brennan warned he may remove this exclusive power through the new Road Traffic Bill if local authorities refused to change the limits for any reasons other than those of safety.
"I am still considering whether the power might be given to the NRA to deal with speed limits on national routes."
However, he hoped this would be unnecessary, and expected a positive response to the suggested changes.
"I have written to the county managers to ask them to consider them and review them, and I'm hopeful that they and their staff will take these suggestions seriously.
"But it is ultimately their decision."