Traffic violations must be addressed

HAVING read your front page story and inside article of your newspaper (August 16) in relation to the proposed speed limit plan by Cork Corporation, it strikes me as a wonderful decision.

It would be wonderful to be able to drive through Cork city with speeds approaching 30km/h. It has often taken me more than 40 minutes to travel through Patrick St, Grand Parade, and South Mall.

To introduce this speed limit is foolhardy without correcting the already obvious traffic violations which are in place.

On Patrick St we have a taxi rank that not only faces oncoming traffic, but taxis entering or leaving said rank cross a solid white line, exiting within feet of a pedestrian crossing.

On the Grand Parade, drivers are free to exit/enter a car park, also crossing a solid white line.

Surely it would be a better policy to correct existing errors before enforcing new ones.

We thankfully have had very few accidents in the city centre over the past years, but I would question how many accidents involving pedestrians occurred on pedestrian crossings, and how many occurred where pedestrians walked into traffic?

Let’s not make foolish decisions or soon there will be 8ft barriers along the pavements with barriers that only open when it is safe for pedestrians to cross.

P Gorman

Cork