Council plans to buy €7,000 solar-powered speed warning signs

Cork County Council is planning to purchase a number of solar-powered speed warning signs for its own use and is also prepared to subsidise communities who want to buy them.

The move is part of a new road safety policy which was formulated by the council’s roads and transport special purposes committee.

Its chairman, Cllr Declan Hurley (Ind), said two solar-powered signs cost €6,800 and the council would pay half the price if local communities came up with the rest.

“Whilst the council would own and maintain the signs, the commitment would be that the signs would remain within the town or village which purchased them,” he said.

Research shows these signs are most effective for the first two weeks and should be left in place for no longer than six weeks, said Mr Hurley, adding that leaving them any longer can lead to over-familiarity by drivers and thus detract from their effectiveness.

Mr Hurley said the portable, vehicle-activated signs could be moved on to different locations around villages and towns.

“Vehicle-activated signs emphasise speed limit exceedance or can highlight a particular hazard, such as a bad bend or dangerous junction ahead,” he said.

He said communities might also be able to avail of grant aid for their percentage of the equipment.

“The reintroduction of CLÁR funding last year will provide funding for safety measures for small-scale works such as safety lights, signage, speed ramps, and road markings.”

Mr Hurley said it would be “good practice” for municipal district councils to purchase their own vehicle-activated signs and use them periodically in towns.

“Their use would be particularly effective in emphasising the 30km/h speed limit where such is applied to certain housing estates by special speed-limit bylaws,” said Mr Hurley.

Cllr Frank O’Flynn (FF) said the Charleville/Fermoy municipal district council had successfully piloted the signs at several locations and some community groups had already purchased them for use in their own areas.

Cllr Paul Hayes (SF) said he was in favour of the signs.

“But I know of a couple of young drivers who are using them as a sort of competition to see who can clock up the most speed,” said Mr Hayes.

Meanwhile, Cllr Des O’Grady (SF) suggested they could be upgraded with cameras to take pictures of offending vehicles.