Drivers ‘penalised for avoiding toll road’

ANGRY councillors claimed yesterday that motorists refusing to use the new tolled Fermoy bypass were being penalised after the speed limit on the former main road was dropped from 100km to 80km.

Councillor Frank O’Flynn (FF) said that new speed signs on the old road between Watergrasshill and Fermoy had appeared virtually overnight.

“It’s an absolute disgrace, there was no consultation with the public, or the county councillors. There are two by-roads off it [the N8] where two cars can’t pass, yet they have the same speed limit. This is a punishment for people who are not using the new bypass [M8],” Mr O’Flynn said.

He also claimed that gardaí were in favour of keeping the 100km speed limit on the N8.

“Why is it that 100km per hour was an acceptable speed limit and it isn’t now?” Labour’s councillor Sean Sherlock said.

Councillor Aileen Pyne (FG) was also at a loss as to why the speed limit was changed so quickly without consultation.

“The sad thing about all of this is that if we hadn’t a toll on the bypass we wouldn’t have these problems. The whole thing about it is to push the people on to the motorway,” Ms Pyne said.

Her party colleague, councillor Noel O’Connor, said he travelled last Saturday on the “windy Mallow-Fermoy road” which has a speed limit of 100km per hour, and then a short time later drove on the N8, a far better road, which now has an 80km limit.

“It just doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny,” Mr O’Connor said.

Councillor Liam O’Doherty claimed a lot of people “had been caught unawares” by the speed limit changes.

“I want to know how they were able to erect these signs so fast and without us knowing,” he said.

Councillor Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) said he thought that all speed limit changes had to come before the council for approval.

However, county engineer, Ned Flynn, said that the opening of he M8 meant the old route was now classified as a secondary road and thus had its speed limit automatically changed to 80km. He added that it was open to councillors to review the speed limit.

Mr O’Flynn said he would be putting down an emergency motion to have speed limit changed back to 100km per hour.