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THE MINISTER FOR Transport Eamon Ryan has today launched a Speed Limit Appeals Procedure and new Shared Space road signage.
Firstly, the appeals procedure will allow members of the public to object and appeal existing speed limits, that are within a Local Authority’s current bye-laws.
It is live from today at this link.
This offers people an opportunity to highlight speed limits which they believe are “inappropriate and require investigation” according to the Department of Transport.
Officials also intend for this to speed up the process of reviewing queries about speed limits which usually take place every five years.
Appeals process
The initial application can be made at no cost, to the Local Authority panel.
That panel will decide if the limit is either in accordance with the Speed Limit Guidelines, or not.
If the panel believes the limit in question is within the guidelines, and does not need to be changed, the public can follow up by escalating the issue to an independent regional panel.
That carries an administration fee of €125, but the fee will be refunded if the appeal is successful.
If the Local Authority panel, or the independent group decides it is not in accordance with the guidelines work will begin on rectifying that.
Safety first
The guidelines say the primary focus must be safety, but the needs in terms of traffic flow should be considered too as a secondary objective.
Minister Eamon Ryan stressed that this is not a mechanism for those issued with a penalty for speeding to appeal against that penalty.
“The Programme for Government committed to reviewing and reducing speed limits with a view to addressing both road safety issues and carbon emissions and ensuring greater compliance,” said.
“This process will highlight speed limits that are deemed inappropriate, and which require further investigation. It is important to note however that this is not a mechanism for appealing penalties issued for speeding offences.”
Shared space
The Minister has also announced further measures to cut back on the dominance road vehicles command in public spaces.
New Shared Space signage is being introduced to alert road users, not just drivers, that the area they’re approaching and entering is a low-speed shared ‘public realm’ space.
The signs can only be erected in areas with speed limits of 20km/h or 30km/h, in areas where pedestrians and cyclists share the main road with vehicles.
1/ Leaving aside the wider issues of street design and whether or not people will understand the difference between these 2 signs, the design of these signs is hopelessly bad. They look like they are from 2 different countries... pic.twitter.com/yPAeYacgs3
— Limerick Cycle Design (@LkCycleDesign) December 3, 2021
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD says these are to highlight to drivers and cyclists that they should react by proceeding slowly, in order to allow other road users to feel safe and “move freely.”
Naughton added “the signs will play an important part in enhancing road safety in these areas and ensure that pedestrians are prioritised.”
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Registration plates and road tax for bicycles, single file only, lights to include indicators. Make it one rule for everyone on the road.
@Burt Macklin: Bingo! (same old nonsense). Reg-plates and indicators work so well for (some) car drivers, don’t they? It can’t be one rule for everyone because different vehicle types (and pedestrians) are different from each other.
@Type17: motorcycles have the above and it works for them. Apart from speed, what’s the difference
@Burt Macklin: don’t be such a gonshyte will ya. If a bicycle was to have everything you say it might aswel be a motorbike should a pedestrian using a shared space or road have to have lights indicators and number plates also. Typical selfish motorist attitude
@Burt Macklin: Yes, and registration plates for pedestrians too – one front and one rear, as well as front a rear reflectors – red to the rear, white to the front. Also, pedestrians should be required to wear “walk belts” when out walking. The government should also commission Tommy Hilfiger to make coats with front and side airbags.
Also, in relation to road tax, if we’re going to impose that on cyclists, to follow your “equality model”, we’ll need to impose it on motorists too since there currently is no such thing as road tax.
@Burt Macklin: Why single file only? do you have trouble maneuvering around two bikes side by side?
@Burt Macklin: and providing safe cycling corridors
@Burt Macklin: Good man Burt. I’d start with the 4/5 year olds. Make them cycle on busy roads only. Get them used to Irish driving habits & they could learn some evasive skills. Do you think 4/5 is too young? What age would you start them at? BTW what’s road tax? I have a car myself but haven’t paid this “road tax” in 40 years of driving…..
@Burt Macklin: nonsense!
@Burt Macklin: and helmets or and high viz vests for cars, as most road colissions every year involve cars and most head injuries treated in hospitals are to car drivers!
Single file only for the Spandex Ballet or to be made ride naked with no saddle for Tour de France stage, hard shoulder to be marked with red flashing cats eyes lights (the luas junctions have them) to give emergency services the space they need (instead of filtering) Bus lanes to be opened at 6:30pm, reg plates for e-scooters like in europe, more rest stops with card operated facilities (nominal charge) every garage/motorway services to be allowed waiver 25% vat on coffee after 5:30pm, solar powered lights to be put along isolated country roads with pedestrians detectors also, proper monitoring on the M50 for HGVs in the fast lane ( it’s illegal and bloody dangerous) lower speed limit signals to be shown on motorway services vehicles to be shown when on route to an emergency and in attendance. Rubberneckers to be slapped in the neck to see how rubber it is!! I know a lad he’ll do it for a cup of tea and two slices of brown bread….
@: however as an avid cyclist and sometime motorist I am constantly amazed that young cyclists in Ireland are not trained in school yards during school holidays or at weekends about the rules of the road, hand signals and lights, how to fix a puncture etc.In the pre Thatcher UK that I grew up in such training was widespread and normal. Further amazement is induced by the lack of law or interest in changing it so that Gardai would be mandated to seize any bicycle ridden without properly functioning lights on it at night. An on the spot fine could also be required with the bicycle put in the boot of the Garda car or attached with a bike carrier and then held at the Garda station until the owner fixes lights to it. Perhaps this is too logical a solution, so we can go on with needless deaths.
@Kevin Farrell: I am aware there is no such thing as road tax. I’m saying we begin this new tax with cyclists.
@Burt Macklin: Yes, and “Path Tax” for pedestrians based in shoe size!!!!
@IrishSportives.ie: Cars have safety equipment, seat belts and air bags.. Helmets for cyclist work. Simple as that.
The proof is there and the documents used to say otherwise, have all been peer reviewed and found to be biased and incorrect in their use of stats, as most of the authors are members of the same anti helmet group. Some have doctorates but not in the field they are talking about.
Here is a cyclist telling his story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NURp6nM6ggg
So this is what Eamon Ryan gets up to when he’s not sleeping in the convention centre…. if he had brains he’d be dangerous.
@John Duggan: You can sleep safe in the knowledge that Eamon Ryan is no danger to you or anyone else. Sweet dreams buddy.
Pity he wouldn’t launch himself into space and give us all a break.
Really?!? This is what he does? What a tough job…….
Can we appeal the ridiculous 30kph limits on the quays where bicycles can go faster than cars??
@Coli Byrne: if you drive the car in reverse it’s possible to stay under the gear grinding limit
@Coli Byrne: you can appeal all want – not going to get you vey far, Too many people killed my speeding motorists,
@paul kelly: How many people killed your motorists? Sorry for your losses, these vigilante’s need to be stopped
Bigger signs – that is exactly what we need!
@Seamus Cooke: Or Better Minister
Most 80kph areas are little country roads and lanes some where two vehicles can’t pass safely(on opposite sides) without one pulling onto the verge. Hardly safe.
@Stephen Kelly: so, now you can report them, the link is in the article.
@Stephen Kelly: the rural speed limit sign was introduced in 2015 for that, taking away the visual target of 80 on those roads. Worth remembering though that speed limits aren’t targets.
@Stephen Kelly: Bottom of the barrel thinking like this is population centric for more than just the obvious reason. These lads have just found themselves in the positions there in, they haven’t a clue and don’t want to hear it.
Nice fancy signs on the Navan Road inbound from the Travel Lodge….Waste of money as cars are driving twice the speed limit since they went up. At the same time, no more speed vans on that route. Bizarre!
@Ciaran McCann: should just be a fixed speed traps on that strech….you would feel pressured into speeding guaranteed to have a car up your ar$e if you do the limit. If you come off the m50 you default into right side lane….people think its an overtaking lane but its not…its just a facility to let 4 lanes gradually merge into one.
No more signage around the country. It’s everywhere. Too many ugly poles everywhere.
Nice job if you can get it
@Mike Dé Vere: explain?
Why don’t they actually enforce the current limits instead of more window dressing.
Single file only for the Spandex Ballet or to be made ride naked with no saddle for Tour de France stage, hard shoulder to be marked with red flashing cats eyes lights (the luas junctions have them) to give emergency services the space they need (instead of filtering) Bus lanes to be opened at 6:30pm, reg plates for e-scooters like in europe, more rest stops with card operated facilities (nominal charge) every garage/motorway services to be allowed waiver 25% vat on coffee after 5:30pm, solar powered lights to be put along isolated country roads with pedestrians detectors also, proper monitoring on the M50 for HGVs in the fast lane ( it’s illegal and bloody dangerous) lower speed limit signals to be shown on motorway services vehicles to be shown when on route to an emergency and in attendance. Rubberneckers to be slapped in the neck to see how rubber it is!! I know a lad he’ll do it for a cup of tea and two slices of brown bread….
No surprise, there’s a €125 fee to appeal, go on the lads!!!
How do these people keep getting voted into office! They are so limited in their vision… But then maybe thats a reflection of the population. how Is this even news?
So can we appeal online, the link only let me go as far as seeing you had to download a form?
Never ever let them back in power again.
Shared Space is unsafe for pedestrians and particularly vulnerable pedestrians.
Thats been proven repeatedly and seen in the UK where they put them in like Exhibition Roqad in London and are changing it back.
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