Edenderry councillor hits out at lack of speed limit signs after fine

An Offaly Fine Gael councillor is to seek a meeting with the Chief Superintendent of the Laois/Offaly Garda Division after he received a speeding fine and three penalty points due to what he describes as a "lack of signage" informing motorists of the recent speed limit reduction on rural roads in Offaly.

Edenderry's Cllr Noel Cribbin received the speeding fine on the 11km stretch of road between Ballinagar and Tullamore which he claims has only one sign to make motorists aware that the speed limit has been reduced from 80km per hour to 60km per hour.

"About one kilometre after I had passed the lone 60km/h speed limit sign, my car's digital display sign went back to 80km/h, so I was confident that I was within the legal speed limit when I spotted the speed detection van, as I was travelling at 71km/h," he explained.

Stressing that he has "no issue whatsoever" with the speed limit change on the stretch of road in question, Cllr Cribbin says he will be seeking a letter from Offaly County Council stating that there is an anomaly on the road between Ballinagar and Tullamore due to the fact that "they didn't put up enough signs".

As an elected representative, the Edenderry councillor says he is required to "abide by the law, like every other citizen" but he points out that he is "probably not the only motorist" to get a speeding fine on the Ballingar to Tullamore road due to a lack of "proper council signage".

"I don't mind paying a fine when I'm in the wrong," he says, "but I will be pleading my case on this occasion and will be seeking to have my fine, and those of others who were caught on the same stretch of road, revoked".

The speed limit on rural roads decreased from 80 kilometres per hour to 60 kilometres per hour from February 7 this year.