Unserviced lay-bys across the State’s motorway and high-quality dual carriageway networks, which are currently used as rest areas for drivers, are to be closed to private motorists.
Under a review of its policy on service areas, motorway and national road operator Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is planning to restrict access to existing lay-bys to emergency services and drivers of heavy goods vehicles.
There are currently 29 unserviced lay-bys available to be used by the public with a further 20 Garda enforcement areas which are gated and locked, unless being used by the Garda.
From the total of 49 locations, TII is proposing to eliminate eight over time and designate the remaining 41 as “new” lay-bys for professional drivers only.
Private motorists would only be allowed to use the lay-bys in emergencies.
The new policy updates a 2014 policy that saw the need for lay-by rest areas, given the comparatively few motorway service areas at that time. The 2015 policy contained an ambition to see motorway service areas at a maximum of 100 kilometres from each other across the network.
However, such has been the growth in motorway service areas over the last ten years that the vast majority of the network now has such facilities at a maximum of 60 kilometres apart. The exceptions are the M18/18 and the M3, while the distance from Athlone to Supermac’s Pat McDonagh’s Galway Plaza at Kiltullagh is just 62 kilometres. Mr McDonagh also has planning permission for another plaza on the M18 near Ennis, Co Clare, while planning permission was granted to Applegreen this July for a service area on the M3 near Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.
A spokesman for TII said the growth in motorway service areas on national roads, as well as motorways, meant there were now sufficient numbers of rest areas that were superior to the lay-bys. TII’s policy document also noted that drivers in the lay-bys were not allowed to step out of their vehicles while resting.
A public consultation process on the policy concluded at the end of August and it is anticipated that new service area policy will be concluded by the end of the year.
The new policy has, however, been criticised by Independent TD Sean Canney. Mr Canney told The Irish Times “the closing of the lay-bys by TII flies in the face of their own advice not to drive if you are tired”.
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Mr Canney said “it makes no sense and I see daily the number of cars that use the lay-by to break their journey”.
“Tiredness kills but someone in an office somewhere has decided that the everyday drivers should not pull into a lay-by for a rest in the future”, he said.
However, the Road Safety Authority has come down firmly on the side of Transport Infrastructure Ireland. In a statement to The Irish Times, the authority said it supported the new arrangements for the lay-bys.
“The RSA agrees with the repurposing of lay-bys, as alternative, safer lay-by options now exist within an appropriate distance”, the statement said.
“The RSA does not believe the repurposing will impact road safety as the proposal takes into account the requirements under EU law to ensure the provision of adequate service areas across the motorway network where road users can park, rest and access facilities” the statement concluded.
