New Periodic Speed Limit Policy for Schools could cost Louth schools over €10,000

The roll-out of Louth County Council’s new ‘Periodic Speed Limit Policy for Schools’ could cost interested schools over €10,000, councillors learned at last week’s county council monthly meeting.

The new policy is aimed at imposing special speed limits at schools in the county at specified restricted times (Periodic Speed Limits). They will be applied at schools where all other relevant safety measures have been tried or considered not sufficient or appropriate.

According to the policy that was put before council members at last week’s meeting and is now in effect in the county,  the existence of a periodic speed limit is signified by an electronic speed limit sign, which when lit up shows the speed limit in white figures within a red border against a black background.

Outside the special speed limit periods, the sign automatically switches off and the sign remains blank. The electronic sign can be mounted on a grey backing board with two amber lights, which may flash when the sign is lit up.

Council members heard that the funding for the signs, neccessary civil works and advertisement/preperation of the Bye-laws will be paid for by the school involved, unless a separate funding scheme becomes available.

The estimated cost of the provision of two signs is; €9,000 including VAT for two solar powered signs, as well as an estimated cost of between €1,000 and €3,000 for the erecting on the two signs on site. When erected Louth County Council will be responsible for routine maintenance only.

Members were advised at the meeting that while this was a policy being implemented in Louth, it would not be imposed on schools and each school would be assessed individually.

Concerns were voiced at the costs of the signs, with one councillor calling them “outrageous”.

Cllr Colm Markey in his comments at the meeting asked where these costs came from and “is it possible that we can get these done cheaper?”

He also enquired if it was “possible to see if there was a bundle of them to be done at one time, could it be reduced in some way?”

Cllr Markey continued: “to ask local communities to start raising money of this sort is very harsh and it surely can be done cheaper than that?”

Members were told that the quote the council got for the provision of the signs was the most  current quotation available.They were also told that while the council did not have the funds to provide the signs itself, it would assist schools in looking for funding wherever possible.