New traffic system coming to Ireland
In the run up to the next General Election, the Government has announced a new initiative to bring Ireland in line with our European partners.
The following is the essence of the announcement made this morning.
For centuries, Ireland has been the poor relation of England. We inherited their laws, their architecture, their language and their way of life.
We see ourselves now as an independent state that is more European than British. We have adopted the Euro as our currency. We have established Irish as an official language within the European Union. We have won the Eurovision Song Contest more times than anyone else. It is time for the next step.
We propose that from the 1st of July 2007, we will adopt the European standard of driving on the right hand side of the road.
This is a major initiative that will bring us in line with the rest of Europe, along with metrication. Furthermore, with the rate of immigration expected to increase, by the year 2010, the majority of the population will have originated in countries that drive on the right.
We already have the physical infrastructure in place. It is just a matter of public education.
Starting from the 1st of February, motorists will have a five month period in which to have their vehicles adapted to left hand drive. During this period, road signs and traffic lights will also be adapted. All new vehicles sold after this date will be configured for left hand drive.
Starting on the 1st of July, there will be a period of transition.
Period of transition
Initially, all buses and articulated vehicles will move to the right to allow for a period of adjustment. Car owners may opt to make the switch themselves on an individual basis, depending on their level of confidence.
Starting on the 1st of August, all motorists outside city limits will be required to drive on the right. And finally on the 1st September, all city traffic will make the transition.
It is appreciated that there will be some confusion initially, but death rates within the first year are expected to be below the 50,000 mark. This is a small price to pay for the estimated five lives a year that will be saved after the transition.
Some initial confusion
The Government is committed to reducing the appalling death rate on our roads, and to further harmonisation with our European neighbours.
I would love to see a reference to this speech. I can find nothing to indicate that this isn’t just a big joke. If this is true, please cite.
I’m sorry to disappoint, but there is no ‘official source’. It is merely an indicator of the kind of daft stuff our government comes up with here.
I thought that the line “Car owners may opt to make the switch themselves on an individual basis” would be a bit of a give-away 🙂
Mind you, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see this being proposed in the future. And they will probably plan it in the same cackhanded way.
This is the sort of thing that hovers on the cusp of “huh? You think?” 🙂
Is this your source? http://www.independent.ie/national-news/are-you-right-there-donie-are-you-right-1284950.html
It’s almost enough to drive long suffering motorists round the bend.
A senator yesterday suggested Irish motorists should drive on the other side of the road to facilitate the huge influx of foreigners.
Not only that, but a lower speed limit of 80kmh should apply to immigrants.
However, the bizarre suggestion by the Fianna Fail leader of the Seanad, Donie Cassidy, came under fire last night.
The Automobile Association said the suggestion to switch from left to right was “totally unworkable” and made “absolutely no sense”.
Speaking in the Seanad yesterday during a debate on road safety, Mr Cassidy said that in time we could examine the possibility of changing and driving on the other side of the road.
He said that from a tourist point of view our biggest destinations were Europe and the US where they drove on the right-hand side of the road, so there were good reasons for considering a changeover.
He said that 10 to 15-year-old cars bought at auctions should not be allowed on the roads network and that immigrants were buying them up, as did Irish immigrants in England and the US in the 1950s and 1960s as they attempted to begin a new life.
Mr Cassidy said there should be a 80kmh limit (50mph) for anyone coming from another nation to live and work here, especially if they came from countries where they drove on the right-hand side of the road.
He called on the Road Safety Authority to carry out some research on the proposals.
However, the suggestions were dismissed as out of hand by road safety experts and motoring organisations.
Problems
Conor Faughnan, AA corporate affairs manager, said: “These proposals would be totally unworkable and not even remotely feasible.”
Mr Faughnan said that changing over to the right-hand side of the road would create enormous safety problems.
Also, every right-hand drive car would have to be replaced, along with every bus as these are boarded from the left side.
“The consequences would be enormous. The sheer scale of the project and cost would be staggering.
“This does not make any sense whatsoever, especially from a road safety perspective,” said the AA chief.
Mr Faughnan said gardai could not enforce a special speed limit for foreign drivers. This would also be completely illegal under EU law.
Noel Brett, Road Safety Authority chief executive, would only comment that any proposals from Mr Cassidy would be examined as requested.