COMHAIRLE CHONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday 14th November 2005

QUESTION No. 28

SCHOOL TRAFFIC SAFETY AUDIT

QUESTION: Councillor F. McCarthy

"To ask the manager to provide an interim report on what progress has been made in carrying out a county-wide School Traffic Safety Audit as per my request and to give an indication as to its completion date?"  

REPLY:

Details of all school locations in the County are retained by the Council’s Road Safety Officer, and are the subject of regular review and improvements vis-à-vis advance warning signs, road markings incl. lining and other markings, set-down arrangements and pedestrian crossing points. In addition, the Council operates a regime of school wardens which is updated on a regular basis, and other minor improvements are progressed through the various Area Traffic Management Committees as they arise.

Regulations governing the new metric speed limit system came into force on 20th January last, and provide for the introduction of a special 30 km/h speed limit in areas where there are high volumes of vulnerable users, e.g. in the vicinity of schools. 

Following the initial changeover to the new metric speed limits, the Council has initiated a countywide review to identify and recommend changes where there are anomalies in the current limits, and to identify and recommend suitable locations where the new 30 km/h limit might be introduced.

The Traffic Department is presently reviewing the situation in relation to all school locations following publication of the Department of Transport guidelines on the introduction of special speed limits, and will bring recommendations before the Members in the next 2-3 months. As in the case of amendments to existing limits, recommendations for introduction of special limits will also be subject to public consultation prior to the implementation.

The procedures and safeguards noted above, together with the proposed speed limit review mechanism, are considered to make adequate provision for safety considerations in the vicinity of schools in the South Dublin County Council area.