1,600 HGVs pass through Slane daily

The banning of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from the streets of Slane could have huge financial consequences for Meath County Council in terms of possible exposure to legal claims, delays to deliveries and business frustration, a council official said this week. Meath County Council has called on the National Roads Authority (NRA) to carry out a study to assess the full impacts of a HGV ban in the village. It is also writing to the NRA to see whether a 30km/h speed limit can be implemented and to seek funding from it to implement a series of traffic measures, including ramps, high friction surfacing, improved warning signs and road markings. Meanwhile, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Road Safety, Shane McEntee, said the chairman of the NRA, along with Meath County Council officials, and representatives of Slane residents, will go before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport next week to put their views on the traffic situation at Slane. 'That is a good move and will give all concerned the opportunity to put down certain markers about the dangers to life and limb in the village,' said Deputy McEntee. Council official Eugene Cummins this week presented a special update on Slane traffic management issues to councillors, meeting on Monday. He said the NRA had provided allocations to enable the council to undertake committed bypass for Slane. However, the most recent serious incident in Slane in March had again highlighted the traffic safety problems that persisted on the existing route. Following that incident, and representations from members of the council on behalf of Slane residents, council officials - in conjunction with the NRA - had instigated ongoing investigations into what interim measures could improve traffic safety until such time as a bypass for the village was constructed. He said that a recent traffic count survey had indicated the volume of traffic on the N2 as being approximately 7,800 vehicles. Of these, 20.4 per cent were HGVs on the south side of the village and 24.8 per cent on the north side. This represented a figure of approximately 1,600 HGVs travelling through the village on the N2 each day. Mr Cummins said that as part of the investigation into possible options, the traffic flows around the time of the opening of the M1 motorway had been examined. 'It appears that additional through traffic in Slane has not resulted from the introduction of tolls on the M1 motorway following its opening in mid-2003,' he added. Two main proposals are considered in the Meath County Council report - the imposition of a 30km/h speed restriction in the village, and the introduction of a ban on HGVs in the village. The report reaches the conclusion that the banning of HGVs would have national and international implications and, if implemented, could have serious consequences for the council in terms of possible legal exposure, delivery delays and business frustration. 'As it is the general duty of the NRA under the Roads Act to secure the provision of a safe and effective network of national roads, it is considered the responsibility of the NRA to have the above mentioned study carried out in order to ascertain the full impacts that such a ban would have on Slane, the county in general, and settlements and infrastructure in other jurisdictions. It should be noted that Meath County Council is fully supportive of a HGV ban in the village and is willing to work with the NRA in the implementation of whatever proposals that emerge from the study.' The report also raises the possibility of a 30km/h speed limit but adds that it appears there may be little scope to apply this in Slane. It intends going ahead to seek NRA approval for traffic-calming measures. At this week"s council meeting, Cllr Ann Dillon Gallagher said that while she fully accepted what Mr Cummins had said, they had been 'pussyfooting around' for seven years and they still did not have a system that worked. She said the Minister for Transport from Meath could not turn his back on them now and he had to influence the NRA. She said all the people of Slane care about is the bypass and that an enormous amount of work had been done in the council. However, the NRA had kept passing the buck back and had never once said they would start the bypass in 2010, 2012 or 2014, she claimed. 'There are 22 white crosses on that wall and all who pass through see those crosses. The last time the accident was north of the crossroads and had the potential to be a catastrophe. Mercifully, nobody was killed. We"ve had enough. It has to go back to the Dail,' Cllr Dillon Gallagher said. Cllr Wayne Harding said regarding businesses being affected, they were not looking to stop local HGVs using Slane and there would be some provision for HGVs using Slane and putting employment in the area. 'We are looking to save lives. Slane is a ticking time bomb and it could happen at any time,' he said. Cllr Harding said that regarding the alternative routes, trucks could leave the M1 at Monasterboice and rejoin again at Julianstown and said he hoped they would pursue the HGV ban in the interim while they are waiting for the bypass. Cllr Jimmy Fegan"s suggestion that one option could be to create a 'train of HGVs" where they could only get through every half hour. If this inconvenienced the drivers, they would find another route and pay the couple of euro for the toll, he suggested. Mr Cummins said that the Garda traffic corps had observed trucks in Slane and that speeding of HGVs was not an issue. He said there is no obvious solution, except the bypass, and that the council would do anything it could in the short-term.