A Monaghan councillor has renewed calls for the introduction of average speed cameras in his home county - four years after he first recommended them. Independent Councillor Paudge Connolly told Northern Sound he originally saw the merit in the more up-to-date technology four years ago when a house in Emyvale was crashed into by not one, but two lorries.
Average speed cameras would be placed on a road and would measure vehicle speeds on a round-the-clock basis. Using the example of a local person driving from Castleblayney to Ardee, Cllr Connolly said if anyone who passes an average speed camera van at any point along the road is over the speed limit, they "pay the penalty". Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show earlier, Cllr Connolly said the contribution made by static speed vans "is waning" and said they have just become "something that has to be dodged". He criticised the current speed camera system saying "they keep them in their fixed place and people know where they are."
"Speed vans are past their sell-by-date," Councillor Connolly said, "They're only at particular points, for two hours a day. It's a visibility thing and they're there to be dodged, y'know you get the flashing lights. Their contribution to road safety is waning and I think the impact they're having is gone," he added. "We've asked several times for them to be moved to villages around north Monaghan like Knockatallon, Tydavnet, Emyvale, Clontibret but they will not. They keep them in their fixed location and people know where they are."
