'People are not going to drive at 30km' - clash in Waterford Council over new speed limits
The proposed plans were shown to Councillors on Friday, September 25.
A Special sitting of Waterford Metropolitan Council was held on Friday, September 25, at City Hall wherein Councillors had their say over new speed limit byelaws.
Over the course of the session, councillors clashed with the Executive over the proposed plans for speed limit instructions across Waterford City, Tramore, Cheekpoint, Passage East and Faithlegg.
Executive engineer Alan Kerwin and Director of Services, Physical Infrastructure, Transportation & Active Travel, Gabriel Hynes, spoke to councillors about the proposed plans.
At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Hynes said that councillors had the reserve function "so the final decision rests with the members", prior to the next Plenary meeting.
Councillor Declan Barry suggested lowering the 50km limit in the new housing estates in Crooke to 30km due to the "quite narrow road".
He stated: "This is where all the children and young people are living in that area. I, and the residents there, would like to see that going from 50 to 30 for that stretch of housing estates."
Mr Kerwin responded: "30 is very slow. That's the main road coming from Passage (East) to Dunmore (East). We've been in consultation with the Gardaí on it. Unless there's a realistic expectation that people can drive 30km on it, there's no point putting a 30km speed limit on it."
He continued: "People are not going to drive 30km. Having a reasonable speed limit and an appropriate speed limit is important. A speed limit of 50 is appropriate coming down past the hurling field and as far as the shop between Passage and Dunmore."
Many Councillors were concerned that the proposed byelaws didn't go far enough.
Councillor Joe Kelly brought up the roads around Sanofi and Bausch & Lomb: " Lots of people in that area have been on to me that traffic travels too quickly along that road, they tend to fly along it.
"Is it possible to drop that section below 50?"
Mr. Kerwin replied: "There's no 40km speed limit to reduce it to. Our proposal was 50km."
Councillor Eamon Quinlan raised the potential confusion as a result of electronic speed limit signs during school hours, saying: "I don't think we're going to do well."
