Councillors say they should decide speed limits

LOCAL representatives from the Claremorris-Swinford area have said that local authorities should have the final say on speed limits on the road network.

This comes as the government has today (Wednesday) announced a reduction in speed limits at several roads throughout the country.

Their remarks were made during a discussion at today's (Wednesday) meeting of the municipal district, which began after Cllr John Cribbin bemoaned the lack of progress on the extending speed limit in the village of Brickens 150 meters beyond Eastern Gaels GAA Club. 

In response to a notice of motion by Cllr Richard Finn, Paul Dolan, Head of Roads with Mayo County Council, said that any extend to the speed limit would require approval from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Commenting on the reply, Cllr Cribbin said that the matter should be taken out of the hands of TII.

"People on the ground here who use this road every day of the week, members of the Eastern Gaels club who access the GAA pitch there three or four evenings a week are more aware of the danger that’s there than any TII," said the Fine Gael councillor, who is not seeking re-election.

Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland this morning, Minister of State for Transport, Jack Chambers TD, indicated that local authorities would have 'discretion' on speed limits 'where there is good design and safety standards'.

"They can be revised upwards by local authorities in terms of local rural and national secondary roads," Minister Chambers added.

Citing the minister's comments, Ballinrobe-based councillor Michael Burke demanded clarity on the role of local authorities in setting speed limits.

There have been eleven people killed on Mayo roads so far this year, one more than the combined total for 2021 and 2022.

"I asked an official in this council not very long ago, 'How is our speed limits review going?' He said 'Oh we won’t be making many changes'. Well I want to know who 'we' are. Because I reckon we are the councillors, according to Jack Chambers this morning, that are responsible for it. Not the guy that told me 'I don’t think we’ll be making many changes'," said Cllr Burke, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Cathaoirleach Cllr Gerry Murray (Sinn Féin).

Cllr Burke said that councillors were told they were 'wasting' their time trying to get speed limits changed in certain villages in their area.

His comments were supported other councillors, who argued that poor driver behaviour was the main cause of road fatalities.

"You cannot quantify for human error, and human error on the road is the problem," stated Cllr Richard Finn.

Similar remarks were made by Cllr Tom Connolly and Cllr Patsy O’Brien, with Cllr O’Brien warning against 'a rush of blood to the head' by reducing speed limits.

Cllr Damien Ryan described the number of road fatalities – which have already surpassed last year’s figures nationwide – as 'frightening', but insisted that 'increasing more bureaucracy on drivers that are acting within the regulation is not the answer here'.

"It's down to driver behaviour, it's down to awareness, it’s down to a number of other things," he said.

Cllr Ryan also called for greater enforcement through unmarked vehicles and for the return of the AXA Roadsafe Roadshow to secondary schools in Mayo.