Gatso Van in Waterford

Boskowski

nkay1985 wrote: »

I actually don't think it's got anything to do with any of the above things. It's to do with where it's located - I think it's classed as being inside the city environs or something like that. It's like when you're going into Lemybrien or one of those places, it goes from 100/80 down to 60 for a while, then 50. Where the link road is one of the 60 zones.

I wonder what the cops let people away with. I don't know anybody who's been done out there.

I believe it's none of those. I was told - so of course this is only hearsay - by someone working for city council that it's got to with legal requirements on speed limits before and after a roundabout. Something like the last 200 or 300 metres before a roundabout have to be 60. Since that would leave only a few metres for 80 or above in the middle between roundabouts they just made the whole thing 60.

alpha2zulu

it's got to with legal requirements on speed limits before and after a roundabout. Something like the last 200 or 300 metres before a roundabout have to be 60

I doubt thats the case, once again I'd point you to the Kilkenny example, 100kph throughout the Ring Road, roundabouts included. Funnily enough Ive never spotted Garda revenue collection on the KK ring road aside from tax/insurance checks...

The only other difference is how Kilkenny county council still have some cop on and common sense, something that seems to be missing from the equation when it comes to Waterford city council.

By the way, Cork county council managed to up the N25 dual carraigeway speed limit to 120kph even though its not a Motorway so to say that Waterford city council have their hands tied in regard to setting speed limits would appear to be a nonsense. As far as I can see if the will is there something can be done about it.

Also it may be hearsay but at the time of opening, i heard rumours that the low limit was in place in order to reduce wear and tear on the surface which apparently in places is not quite up to the job.

wellbutty

The van was on the realigned old Kilmeaden Road at lunchtime, I was caught anyway...........again :mad:

south

they must be camping up there at the moment. they were parked in the same place saturday.

Keith Winters

Sully wrote: »

Speaking of which, I was told that the Young Fine Gael branch in Waterford did a big campaign to increase the speed limit and apparently its being considered. Im told it was in local press which I dont read very much. No news as of last week anyway as to how thats going.

Yeah we've been doing a fairly long-drawn campaign, with what has to be considered limited success.

The Waterford branch of Young Fine Gael is currently preparing to launch a campaign to increase the speed limit of the Waterford outer-ring road from a pedestrian 60km per hour to 80km per hour.
Given the size and straightness of the road, the current speed restriction seems utterly unfair. Since the introduction of the metric system in 2005, National primary roads were set at 100km per hour and regional roads were set at 80km per hour; so why should a new dual carriageway be subject to such a slow pace? A number of link roads off the dual carriageway have speed limits of 80km per hour and are far more dangerous, with sharp turns, hills and pot holes.
We would suggest that 80km per hour would represent a fair increase, which ensures a good level of safety to pedestrians who may wish to avail of the footpaths along the road.
Road users would be able to slow down before the roundabouts with ease.

http://www.waterford-today.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2614&Itemid=9

We ran a survey at the Tesco filling station just off the road and we questioned over 200motorists asking whther they thought the suitable speed limit was 50/60/80/100 and whilst I don't have the figures to hand there was a resounding desire to see an increase to 60.
http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/raising-outer-ring-road-speed-limit-would-be-common-sense/

You're right though the application for an increase is currently under review by the City Council but with the economic turbulence and the Glass etc. trivialities like this tend to be shoved into the back burner which is only proper order. The City Coucil retains the power to set the speed limit for the road and following a presentation by our Chair John Cummins to the Transport Committee and with the go-ahead of the engineer there seems to be a general concensus that a common sense approach should be taken. Cllr Tom Cunningham expressed that this is one of the competancies the local authority still enjoys so they should take a realistic approach to the situation.

We have however encountered serious opposition from the Gardai who essentially patronised us and asked us "to use [our] good office and that of other young political parties to use their influence and to campaign to have young people slow down and drive within their capabilities."

The Divisional traffic inspector did give us reasons for wanting to retain the speed limit but I'm not sure if it would be permissable for me to post the letter here. It has nothing to do with anything mentioned above but rather the simple fact that they believe the road can only handle 60 save 2 stretches where 80 may be ok, but in any event they were looking at the road as a whole.

I find that arguement to be moot in all honesty. The reality is there are numerous roads that come off the dual-carriage way that have speeds of 80 and even 100 in one instance. These roads are also barely able to handle 2 cars pass each other safely and have extremely dangerous bends.

I'll try find out tommorrow if there's any chance of a vote on the issue soon.

Flyer1

Gatso van was on the airport road the other day, collecting like goodo again. Oddly at the same time there was a garda squad car down the road with the gun out the window, just in case the van didn't get you. Must be no money left in the kitty for the gardai so they're on the rounds.

seanybiker

Multivan wrote: »

As for the speed limit while its 60 we should keep to 60, i just cant believe the amount of drivers who shoot down that road mid day, ive seen the guards out there too that past month with speed cameras over the railings like.

I dont use the road at all meself . Well the odd time but i try not to. First few times i was on it I couldnt stop speeding. 100+ mph in
the afternoon was a tad much. That was ages back. Temptation to speed is to high. Well is for me anyways. Ill stick with the old and boring roads before i kill meself lol

Keith Winters

seanybiker wrote: »

I dont use the road at all meself . Well the odd time but i try not to. First few times i was on it I couldnt stop speeding. 100+ mph in
the afternoon was a tad much. That was ages back. Temptation to speed is to high. Well is for me anyways. Ill stick with the old and boring roads before i kill meself lol

Well if you're doing 100mph anywhere you deserve to get caught.

Kotek Besar

mike65 wrote: »

Raise the speed limit to 80!

My satnav says the speed limit on the bypass is 120km. I was pulled for doing 70+ on that road recently.

My defence about the satnav was weak, I accept. But still, 60km on a dual carriageway is a joke.

Sully

benifa wrote: »

My satnav says the speed limit on the bypass is 120km. I was pulled for doing 70+ on that road recently.

My defence about the satnav was weak, I accept. But still, 60km on a dual carriageway is a joke.

What did the cop say?

Kotek Besar

Sully wrote: »

What did the cop say?

He said next time look at the signs and not the sat nav if you want to know the speed limit, which was a fair point, in fairness.

Stan Nangle

realcam wrote: »

I believe it's none of those. I was told - so of course this is only hearsay - by someone working for city council that it's got to with legal requirements on speed limits before and after a roundabout. Something like the last 200 or 300 metres before a roundabout have to be 60. Since that would leave only a few metres for 80 or above in the middle between roundabouts they just made the whole thing 60.

That's total rubbish, as are all the other excuses we hear from the City Council. I've been told that it is because it is an urban road (3 odd miles through open Countryside!) and that it has a design speed of 70km/h (maybe near the golf club).

The real story, as far as I can ascertain, is that Waterford City Council have a policy not to have any speed limits over 60km/h in the area under their control.

Naturally, the Gardai love this!

The comparison with Kilkenny is a good one. That is a single carriageway, with a lot of urban traffic, lots of pedestrians on the hard shoulder, and much busier junctions. I spoke to a KK Councillor who told me that the only recurring problem they have is with cyclists getting clipped on the roundabouts. That wouldn't be a problem on the ORR - if cyclists would only use the ****** cycle path and not try to mix it with the traffic!

What we need is standardisation of speed limits throughout the Country, and not the current situation where roads engineers in every local authority get to make up the rules themselves, and feed gullible Councillors a line of BS to get them to implement the changes - Joe Kelly was on WLR a couple of years ago saying that the Councillors could be sued if they voted for a higher limit. Total codswallop!

I've written a piece on the topic of standardisation of speed limits on my website if anyone wants more detail on the topic.

meldrew

Easy knowing local elections are on the way this thread is like a party political broadcast!

seanybiker

Keith Winters wrote: »

Well if you're doing 100mph anywhere you deserve to get caught.

I know yeah thats why i stay away from there. Its to tempting

mike65

alpha2zulu wrote: »

I
Also it may be hearsay but at the time of opening, i heard rumours that the low limit was in place in order to reduce wear and tear on the surface which apparently in places is not quite up to the job.

This could be true, the top surface is a disgrace, it was rough and ready from day one.

spartacus93

Van in Ferrybank again, by Jurys, tonight @ 10:20ish

JMcL

Keith Winters wrote: »

Cllr Tom Cunningham expressed that this is one of the competancies the local authority still enjoys so they should take a realistic approach to the situation.

Gawd almighty, so the city council is on a power trip. You can just see the movie "Bwahaha Batman, you can take away my right to control a landfill, but I will have my revenge. You WILL be forced to drive your batmobile at 37mph on a dual carraigeway, and my forces of darkness will see to that"

We have however encountered serious opposition from the Gardai who essentially patronised us and asked us "to use [our] good office and that of other young political parties to use their influence and to campaign to have young people slow down and drive within their capabilities."

Utterly invalid argument on the guards part. KK ring road has already been mentioned several times. As soon as these "young people" leave at any of the roundabouts, they're immediately presented with for the most part boreens with 80kph speed limits where they can legally kill themselves. They should be demanding more stringent driver training, whereby NOBODY is allowed on the road until they've had sufficient training from a properly qualified instructor, just like every other country in the EU.

The standard of driving from large numbers of Irish people of all ages is frankly appalling, and belies the "training" that they'll have received to typically drive at 50kph in an urban area to satisfy a small number of test criteria. Forcing everybody to drive at a snails pace on the one piece of decent road in the entire bloody county is not the solution.

alpha2zulu

Gatso van also been spotted in the 50kph zone by Sheridans on the Cork Rd.

Sully

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Gatso van also been spotted in the 50kph zone by Sheridans on the Cork Rd.

Cant say I noticed it, was there a little while ago!

Typewriter

Sure everyone drives at 80 anyway (bar a few micra's). Ive driven behind garda cars doing 80 on it.

Somebody should go out there at night and stick a load of '80' stickers over the existing '60' ones, sure everybody would just accept it as the council's doing.

Gasto? Are we speaking in some sort of secret code. :rolleyes:

Keith Winters

JMcL wrote: »

Utterly invalid argument on the guards part. KK ring road has already been mentioned several times. As soon as these "young people" leave at any of the roundabouts, they're immediately presented with for the most part boreens with 80kph speed limits where they can legally kill themselves. They should be demanding more stringent driver training, whereby NOBODY is allowed on the road until they've had sufficient training from a properly qualified instructor, just like every other country in the EU.

The standard of driving from large numbers of Irish people of all ages is frankly appalling, and belies the "training" that they'll have received to typically drive at 50kph in an urban area to satisfy a small number of test criteria. Forcing everybody to drive at a snails pace on the one piece of decent road in the entire bloody county is not the solution.

It begs the question; is it all a glorified tax collecting exercise?

I fail time and time again to find any other reasonable explantion. Yet, we must wait until the Council find the time to make their minds up.

The Driving Test is shambolic to say the least. It tests the driver's ability to carry out a 45minute rehersed procedure. It is in no way conducive to good driving habits.

Bards

Just remember, all the monkeys (memebers of City Council) will soon be calling on doorsteps looking for votes in the forthcomming local elections. Tell them you will not be voting unless they give a cast iron gurantee that they will increase the limit to an appropiate 80 Km/H on the ORR -if they give any excuses, then tell them you will not be voting for them.

Hopefully some of the smarter monkeys might get the message:D

Keith Winters

Bards wrote: »

Just remember, all the monkeys (memebers of City Council) will soon be calling on doorsteps looking for votes in the forthcomming local elections. Tell them you will not be voting unless they give a cast iron gurantee that they will increase the limit to an appropiate 80 Km/H on the ORR -if they give any excuses, then tell them you will not be voting for them.

Hopefully some of the smarter monkeys might get the message:D

That's the only way to get it done at this stage. It's on the agenda (regardless of how low down it is) and they just need something to remind them that.

Multivan

JMcL wrote: »

Gawd almighty, so the city council is on a power trip. You can just see the movie "Bwahaha Batman, you can take away my right to control a landfill, but I will have my revenge. You WILL be forced to drive your batmobile at 37mph on a dual carraigeway, and my forces of darkness will see to that"



Utterly invalid argument on the guards part. KK ring road has already been mentioned several times. As soon as these "young people" leave at any of the roundabouts, they're immediately presented with for the most part boreens with 80kph speed limits where they can legally kill themselves. They should be demanding more stringent driver training, whereby NOBODY is allowed on the road until they've had sufficient training from a properly qualified instructor, just like every other country in the EU.

The standard of driving from large numbers of Irish people of all ages is frankly appalling, and belies the "training" that they'll have received to typically drive at 50kph in an urban area to satisfy a small number of test criteria. Forcing everybody to drive at a snails pace on the one piece of decent road in the entire bloody county is not the solution.

I was raising your view not too long ago when i wrote about drivers in Waterford(just waterford so it was related) but the standard of driving is poor no indicators no sense on roundabouts, and then a 30 min test you come out more qualified then when you went in

I was lambasted for raisin this but i think i was being taken the wrong way. when they lose someone they love they will understand why rules are there to be adhered to!

flan59

Not to do with the GATSO, but I was travelling on the ring road last night and a guy came beside me at the Johns Park roundabout and went straight on, as a lot of drivers do. Squad car was coming out of Johns Park and followed him up the road lights flashing siren sounding, pulled him in below the Golf Course. Pity they are not on the road more often, it sickens me the way drivers ignore arrows on the road

Sully

flan59 wrote: »

Not to do with the GATSO, but I was travelling on the ring road last night and a guy came beside me at the Johns Park roundabout and went straight on, as a lot of drivers do. Squad car was coming out of Johns Park and followed him up the road lights flashing siren sounding, pulled him in below the Golf Course. Pity they are not on the road more often, it sickens me the way drivers ignore arrows on the road

I wondered would that ever be enforced. Glad it is!

honeybadger

wel this is 4 all who critised me on this thread SWISS CHEESE to ye all ,i hope u like driving through knder beauno filled walls with cream egg filling wen u crash,if i had d fist to hit ye all wit,cop on wwould be written all over it,no respect too those who dont show it.proper fukin order............ rules of the road may need improve improvement but tink of the next persson behind or in front of you

Bards

honeybadger wrote: »

wel this is 4 all who critised me on this thread SWISS CHEESE to ye all ,i hope u like driving through knder beauno filled walls with cream egg filling wen u crash,if i had d fist to hit ye all wit,cop on wwould be written all over it,no respect too those who dont show it.proper fukin order............ rules of the road may need improve improvement but tink of the next persson behind or in front of you

Care to translate into English??????

chickenhawk

Bards wrote: »

Care to translate into English??????

He likes swiss cheese but kinder beaunos need to improve.

spartacus93

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Gatso van also been spotted in the 50kph zone by Sheridans on the Cork Rd.

Got caught out that way last year doing a bit over :mad:

Just a reminder about the GATSO van. They don't flash, they have new IR flashes, so you have no way of knowing if you were caught or not and it can take anything up to 3 months to receive notice in the post.

Depending on how they are set (ie will they do you for doing 51 in a 50 (probably not)) you could easily rack up a few points without even noticing. You mightn't even see the van!