Local Authorities Best Placed to Set Speed Limits
STATEMENT BY Councillor Dermot Lacey
Labour Party Councillor Pembroke
Friday May 7, 2004
LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEST PLACED TO DECIDE SPEED LIMITS
“Threatening to take away powers from local authorities on the setting of speed limits is not an effective road safety policy,” the Labour Party candidate for Pembroke, Councillor Dermot Lacey, has said.
“The Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan must withdraw his threat from local authorities because it makes complete sense that it is the local authority who retain the power to make decisions on speed limits on roads. They have the best knowledge in this issue and to take this power away would be counterproductive. Instead of threatening people the Minister should be relying on the local representatives who are best placed to judge the most effective and safe speed on our nation’s roads.
“The Minister admitted that he does ‘not have personal experience of each location’ – local authorities do and they cannot be taken out of the equation. There may be a case for raising the speed limit in some instances but to remove this very important function from local authorities and hand it over to those who have no knowledge of local conditions, the Minister could effectively jeopardise safety on local roads.
“In addition, local authorities should examine the recommendations made by the Minister and look at all the areas to be reviewed. However there has to be a better approach for the Minister to take other than browbeating local authorities into compliance.”
ENDS – For more information contact: Dermot Lacey at 087-2646960
