6 January 2005
SPEED LIMITS IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND GO METRIC
Minister of State, John Spellar, MP, announced, today, the erection of new signs on main roads entering Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland to inform drivers that speed limits, in Northern Ireland are in miles per hour. The announcement comes ahead of the introduction of metric road signs, i.e. kilometres, (km), metres, (m) and kilometres per hour, (km/h), in the Republic of Ireland, on 20 January 2005.
New metric road signs will be in place for 20 January, in the Republic of Ireland, to inform motorists, travelling over the border from Northern Ireland, that the speed limit is in kilometres.
The Minister praised the co-operation of the organisations involved.
He said: "I want to pay tribute to the joint effort made by DRD Roads Service, DOE Road Safety Branch, the PSNI and the authorities in the Republic who have worked together to ensure that speed management and road safety issues, emanating from the changes in the Republic of Ireland, are addressed."
The Republic of Ireland authorities will be running a publicity campaign from
6 January 2005. The Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland will be running TV advertisements to advise road users of the changes and more detailed advice will be placed in national and regional papers and on the DOE and DRD websites.
A DOE spokesperson advised road users to think about the impacts of the changes in advance of any trips and to pay particular attention on cross border routes and on roads in the Republic while the changes are bedding in.
He said: "The signs and speed limits on roads in the Republic will, for the first time, be different to those in Northern Ireland and it will take a while for people to get used to the changes. I would appeal to you to take care, pay attention and ensure that you comply with the relevant speed limits. DOE will be issuing advice about the changes nearer to 20 January and I would ask everyone, particularly those who travel frequently across the border, to consider this carefully."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- A television advertisement on the metrication of road signs will run from 31 December 2004 to 13 February 2005, in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). A leaflet explaining the changes and conversion rates will be delivered to every household in the ROI by 14 January 2005. A ‘go metric’ website will go live on 15 January 2005 with press advertising running from 16 to 24 January 2005.
- There are no plans to introduce the metrication of speed limits in Northern Ireland.
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