Mayo councillors claim special speed limit by-laws are 'absolute ridiculous nonsense'

Controversial special speed limit by-laws have been adopted by Mayo County Council but not without councillors criticising the process as 'absolute ridiculous nonsense'.

Mayo councillors adopted a recommendation to pass the by-laws to ensure that the default speed limit of five local roads within the county remain at 80km per hour when new legislation to reduce the speed limit on local roads to 60km per hour to be introduced on February 7. Had the councillors not adopted the special by-laws the default speed limit on these roads would have been reduced to 60km on February 7.

The decision to adopt the by-laws had been deferred from the December meeting to allow the council to invite officials from the Department of Transport to address yesterday's monthly meeting to explain the rationale behind reducing the default speed limit on local roads.

However, no department official travelled to Mayo to address the councillors who hit out at the department for eroding local councillors' powers to change the speed limit on the county's roads.

Addressing the meeting, Fianna Fáil councillor Damien Ryan said that councillors were being asked to 'rubber stamp' something they had no input into and described the procedure as 'absolute ridiculous nonsense'.

“We have been asked to make a decision with no statistics, with no facts, with no engineering or technical advice, with no input from one of the 30 public representatives. The people who drew this up with the exception of none should be absolutely ashamed of themselves,” he said.

Immediate review

The Ballinrobe-based councillor added that if the council had to adopt the by-laws he will be asking for an immediate review into the document to be carried out.

“We are being asked to sign off on something that is drawn up by whizz kids and officials within the department. I want it reviewed based on all facts and lets get back to what we were used to which is invoking and using our reserved powers.

“This is a flawed document which I take great reservation and exception to but we are being compelled [to adopt it]. This is a top down approach which is eroding democracy and I cannot say that strong enough. If we have to accept this today, the amendment we are proposing is a review conducted without delay and go to the principal in the department and let that principal officer come back and tell us if it will be conducted or not.

“An erosion of power is an erosion of democracy and stinks to high heavens,” he added.

The decision by the department to reduce the default speed limits on local roads has angered many councillors in Mayo who claimed that the initiative will not save lives.

Tailbacks

Independent councillor John O'Malley told the meeting that since the matter was raised in December he has driven at 60km per hour and come to the conclusion it will result in tailbacks and motorists attempting to overtake in frustration at the slow pace.

He did not accept that reducing the speed limit on all local roads will save lives but stated that the department would be better off cutting back trees and improving bad corners on roads.

Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn accepted that this was just another rubber stamping process but proposed adopting the by-laws in order to ensure the five roads which met the criteria to remain at 80km per hour do so.

He also agreed to the review proposed by Cllr Ryan but also commented that the 'vast majority' of local roads are not fit for 80km per hour.

“The level of aggression on the roads is frightening and I do believe the vast majority of our local roads should be at 60. I know a lot of people here will disagree with me ... I do think that right now we have to deal with the reality that our local roads are not simply up to 80km per hour,” he said.

Independent councillor Harry Barrett agreed and commented that the level of cocaine use in our society has to have an impact on the level of aggression among drivers. He also criticised the lack of support to communities who want to introduce measures to help reduce speed.

The proposal to adopt the by-laws was accepted by the councillors with the amendment of a review to be carried out into the process. Four of the local roads which met the criteria to remain at 80km per hour are in Erris while the fifth is the L-1127 outside Ballina.