Some Wexford speed limits still not lawful

April 2001

Motorists driving on some roads around Wexford town have no need to obey the speed limit signs there, as the limits indicated on those signs still have no basis in law.

At least three stretches of road in and around the town have speed limit signs that are unenforceable because they still haven’t been formally adopted by the County Council.

The gardaí have warned however that the currently unenforceable ‘limits’ are not a speeder’s charter and motorists driving too fast for the conditions on ‘problem roads’ could still be prosecuted.

The roads include the busy Newtown Road, past Wexford Racecourse, where the legal limit is still 60 mph until just past Boggan’s Garage, where it drops to 40 mph, and then on to the St. John of God Convent, where it drops to 30 mph.

These legal limits contradict signs erected by the Council last year, which suggest that the limit is just 40 mph (instead of 60) past the racecourse, and dropping to 30 (instead of 40) close to Boggan’s.

The villages of Barntown and Piercestown, and probably several others, are similarly affected.

Despite 30 mph signs on the main roads through those villages, the official limits are still 60 mph, despite the heavily built-up nature of these areas.

Gardaí say they frequently receive complaints about people driving ‘too fast’ through these villages, but they are unable to prosecute people for speeding, because like with Newtown Road, the speed indicated on the signs has no basis in law.

‘Until such time as new bye-laws are adopted, we can’t do anything,’ said a garda source, adding that ‘hopefully there will be some developments soon’.

Last October, county council officials said the new lower speed limits would be adopted at the November meeting, but almost six months on, the problem has not been resolved.

Cllr. Pat Codd said he would be investigating why the ‘new’ limits still have not been adopted.

‘I think it’s an unacceptable situation, and it should be remedied,’ he said.