Notorious speed limit on airport road to be raised

The notorious traffic speed trap on the Monivea Road near Galway Airport which has left hundreds of motorists with fines and penalty points should be removed with a change of speed limit to be implemented under a review.

The draft review was put before Galway County Councillors this week, prompting an avalanche of criticism about the National Road Authority (NRA), which has the final say on speed limits on national roads.

They were lambasted for being concerned only with getting motorists from point one point to the other in the shortest time possible and not taking into account the safety of the people who lived there.

However, one change proposed by the council and agreed by the NRA was to increase the speed limit on a section of the R339 from Galway Airport to Ballintemple from 60kmph to 80kmph.

This was welcomed by Independent Cllr Jim Cuddy who said speed cameras on that stretch of road was like “shooting fish in a barrel”.

However, the NRA should be taken out of the equation when it comes to deciding on speed limits, he insisted.

His proposal to ask Transport Minister Leo Varadakar to give full powers to local authorities to bring in speed limit reviews in conjunction with local Gardaí and councillors without having to consult the NRA was agreed by councillors.

For more on this story, see the current issue of the Galway City Tribune