Controversial speed limit liftedBy Shane Hickey

Tuesday October 05 2010

A CONTROVERSIAL speed limit in the capital is to be lifted from parts of the city.

Councillors last night voted to remove parts of the quays from a 30kmh traffic-calming scheme in Dublin city centre.

The speed limits have been the subject of complaints from drivers since their introduction at the end of January.

Councillors last night voted to remove Merchant Quay, Wood Quay, half of Essex Quay and Winetavern Street on the south side and Inns Quay and Ormond Quay on the north side from the scheme.

The rest of the 30kmh limit in the centre of the city, which stretches across a zone 2km north to south and 1.5km east to west, will remain in place.

It is expected that the affected quays will now revert to a 50kmh limit.

Following the vote by city councillors last night, officials will now draft new by-laws, which will then go out to public consultation. These laws will go before the transport committee before new drafts go before the council for approval.

It is expected that the new speed limits will be in place in the new year at the earliest.

It had been widely perceived that the limits on the quays were especially conservative and slowed traffic unnecessarily. The changes were recommended by the council's transport committee following a six month review.

Councillors voted in favour of the change by 29 votes to three.

It was also agreed that the 30kmh limit would be extended to parts of the Long Mile Road, Slievebloom Park and the Chapelizod Road from Monday to Friday for schoolgoers.

However, an attempt to suspend the city centre bus-gate -- which bans private cars in College Green at key times -- for the Christmas period failed