Ross hurries along plans for penalty points overhaul despite flak
TRANSPORT Minister Shane Ross has dashed Fine Gael’s hopes of delaying a penalty points overhaul which will see motorists who drive 30kmh over the limit hit with a €2,000 fine and seven points.
Fine Gael ministers believed a national review of speed limits would delay the introduction of graduated speeding penalties – hitting motorists with harsher sanctions the more they go over the limit – until after the general election.
But Mr Ross told the Irish Independent last night that the review of speed limits across the country was almost complete.
He is also pushing ahead with plans to force motorists to produce their licences after being pulled over by gardaí despite strong opposition from rural Fine Gael ministers.
“Speeding is a scourge, a killer. The new graduated speeding laws are on the Government’s priority legislation list so I do not anticipate any delays,” Mr Ross said.
“Parallel, I am glad to say that a review of speed limits nationwide is almost complete. It will be accompanied by an appeals panel to allow, for the first time, any citizen to challenge individual speed limits.”
The Irish Independent has been told that just two local authorities are yet to make submissions to the national review of speed limits which aims to address inconsistencies.
The graduated speeding fines proposals will see motorists caught by up to 10kmh over the limit hit with a €60
Transport Minister Shane Ross wants plan implemented
fine and two points, with penalties progressively harsher the faster one drives. There will be a new offence of driving more than 30kmh above the limit resulting in a court prosecution, a €2,000 fine and seven penalty points.
Fine Gael ministers agreed to the measures at Cabinet believing they would not be law before the election.
Mr Ross will also sign a statutory instrument to remove existing Garda discretion to allow a driver 10 days to produce their licence at a station, and make it mandatory to carry a licence at all times.
“It will be done by secondary legislation so there will be no obstacle to enacting it simultaneously,” he said.
The move will cause uproar in Fine Gael. A senior Fine Gael source insisted at the weekend that the speed limits review would not be completed until April.
But Mr Ross said last night: “I am determined that such life-saving measures, supported by An Garda Síochána, the RSA and the Cabinet, should not be held up by filibusters or any other political manoeuvrings. We intend to proceed to implement them.”