Speed traps slammed as ‘ridiculous’ by local TD

Galway drivers are being caught for speeding, fined and hit with penalty points — for going barely above the legal speed limits.

That’s according to Galway West TD Noel Grealish, who has called for a system of staggered penalties for those who drive too fast, and plans to raise the issue in the Dáil next month.

And he has accused the government of using the GoSafe speed detecting vans to make money rather than contribute to safety.

Deputy Grealish said he had been struck by the number of drivers who had complained to him about being caught for speeding recently on certain stretches of road when they were only just over the limit.

The complaints particularly centred around GoSafe vans with speed detecting cameras located on the Dublin Road leading up to Renmore, the Tuam Road, and Connolly Avenue, which is the link road between Monivea Road and the Tuam Road.

“It’s like shooting fish in a barrel — one taxi driver I spoke to this week was doing seven kilometres an hour over the 50km limit going out the Tuam Road, and two or three days later he was caught again at a similar speed.

“He’s been landed with six penalty points on his licence — for travelling at only seven kilometres an hour above the limit. It’s ridiculous.”

The Galway West Independent TD has called for a gradually increasing penalty system for drivers.

“Look at the situation with regard to drink driving. If you’ve a certain level of alcohol in your blood you’re fined, if you go above that level you get a bigger fine and a six months ban, and depending on the level of alcohol after that you’re put off the road for two or three years

“We should have something similar for speeding offences. Going out the Tuam Road, if you’re caught doing 5 km above the speed limit, it should be just a fine, say a €40 or €50 fine.

“But if you’re caught doing 20 km above the limit, maybe it should be a bigger fine and one penalty point, with increasing penalties the greater the speed involved.”

He pointed out that many insurance companies hiked premiums for drivers with six points by anything from €300 to €500, which meant drivers were being penalised on the double.

“And if you are caught four times, you’re put off the road,” he added.

Deputy Grealish hit out at the Government and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald for not making road safety the top priority for the GoSafe speed detecting vans.

“This is only a revenue generating exercise — it’s ridiculous the places where these vans are being placed in the city and county,” he said.

Meanwhile, the City Council has said that it will be reviewing speed limits in the city later this year, when requests for an increased limit on the Tuam Road will be considered.

This was confirmed in a letter from Joe O’Neill, Director of Services for Planning & Transportation in response to Cllr Jim Cuddy, who said he had been “inundated” with complaints from motorists over the 50km an hour limit, between the entrance to the An Post sorting office and the entrance to Roadstone.

Cllr Cuddy said that drivers approaching the city from the Tuam direction went directly from 100 km/h to 50km/h, and there was big public support for increasing the limit on this wide road to 60 or 80km/h.

“Recently I was contacted by an old age pensioner who is looking after his sick wife at home and he was caught twice the one day for exceeding the 50km speed limit on this part of the road and got notices for a €160 fine and penalty points. Surely that was not the intention of the speed limit regulations,” he added.