For many years there has been carnage on Irish roads, the worst record in Europe. Politicians have failed miserably to solve the problem.
Why, one can reasonably ask is Ireland almost unique in the world in its inability to tackle this problem.
The following stripped down interview by Pat Kenny of the Minister for Transport will provide some hint
Minister – On the latest deaths. “The Road Safety Authority is going to present proposals for tough new restrictions on young drivers. Clearly, the licencing regime, the training needs to be substantially changed…”
Pat – We still have provisional drivers driving alone – shouldn’t we be enforcing the law like other countries?
Minister – Well, you are absolutely right; we need to change the regime entirely. Minister then gives examples of how other countries dealt with such problems.
Pat – In Northern Ireland they have a policy of restricting young drivers after their test.
Minister – And we will have to do the same…
Pat – What about the back log of people waiting for testing… problems with driver information…
Minister – …I mean the system we have in Ireland is simply not adequate
Pat – But the system needs to be reformed..
Minister – Well, that’s what Noel (Brett, CSO of the National Roads Authority ) is coming back to me with.. ending of backlog will allow the introduction of an entirely new licencing regime.
Pat – …size of engine, limit car speeds…
Minister – well Noel and I were talking about this and it’s one of the issues we’re working at…
Pat – Garda resources deployed more intelligently…instead of shooting fish in a barrel..
Minister – Well, I think they’re going to do that… that situation is going to change quite dramatically.
Pat – Local authorities granting planning along motorways turning them into suburbs, especially the M50
Minister – Well, it (M50) did become a commuter road but it was never designed for that… who could have foreseen that would happen? We’re doing a feasibility study on a huge orbital from Drogheda to Kildare (Feck – from Drogheda to Kildare???)
Pat – …would have to insist that local authorities would not build on it…
Minister – …That’s why we have given the National Roads Authority the role in planning…they are taking a very strong line on a lot of the new roads around the country.
This kind of ribbon development is not going to happen any more. Unfortunate about the M50…but that development is also needed (ribbon development along motorways), jobs, companies want to be close to their markets…conflicts to be resolved…
Minister Cullen has been in the job for two years, the Government has been in power for nearly ten years.
Lithuania, a country that gained its independence only a few years ago also suffered from a serious road safety problem. They trained and resourced a proper traffic police force and sent them out to deal with the idiots and killers.
In one year the death rate was reduce by half. Irish citizens are still waiting (After decades) for this simple but effective action. All we get is waffle – meanwhile the carnage continues.
Now “Pathetic Anthony” has found something new to moan about. This time it’s the roads and he has decided to listen to the Pat Kenny show to get a basis for his contribution.
Get real Anthony, the entire Garda force could be put out on our streets and roads and the accident statistics would not improve a whole lot. If people want to drive at crazy speeds and kill themselves there is nothing that you or I or the entire Garda force can do about it. It is a fact that some people (mostly young) have no fear of the law, penalty points or anything else. You can say that, that is a failing in our education system if you like (No doubt you will) but it is a modern day fact of life. Get real and live with it.
People like you can quote whats happening in particular countries to back up your spurious arguments. You never mentioned China where 108,000 people died last year on the roads. You wouldn’t because it would blow your argument out of the water.
This is the real world Anthony not some Utopia that you think Rabbitte and Kenny can deliver.
The Crewser
Trolling or offensive comments are not allowed. The ‘name’ space is meant for your name, not headlines. Copying and pasting comments into mutliple posts is not allowed – it’s called spamming.
If offensive comments continue they will be deleted. Play the ball, not the man.
Gavin. That should work both ways. Clearly it does not as far as you appear to be concerned. Only one attitude appears to be welcome. I note that you have not edited Anthony’s headline which I find most offensive.
The Crewser
If you find the headlines offensive then the option is open to you not to read the weblog.
Comments are welcome on the basis that they are civil, and given that it costs money to host and run this website, I reserve the right to act unilaterally in every instance.
If this seems unfair, then don’t read the website.
I cannot believe what I am reading here not since the heydays of the disgraced Politburo have I witnessed such blatant censorship as is the case here with the treatment been meted out by Anthony’s friend Gavin on the poor old Crewser.
Censorship has rightly been called “the knot that binds power and knowledge” If Crewser is to be struck off in such an arbitory manner then the webmaster should invite only his friends and fellow travellers to contribute to this site.
I find the Crewser contributions interesting and informed and even if the pulp media types cannot palette the content of his contributions you can be as sure as Rev.Dr.Ian is a Free Presbyterian that Crewsers comments still represents the majority clear thinkers in this country.
I say this because I too find the headline offensive what is Anthony really saying here surely he is not directly the motoring death toll solely onto the minister’s shoulders.
You cannot pluck a roads infrastructure so badly desired and needed all be it may, out of the hat and roll it out overnight. Even if we had such a Road system would it make any difference?
The demand for quick fixes been made by the Anthony’s of this country are astonishing in most cases they are prompted by political motivation under the guise of a caring persona.
The great mathematician Pat Kenny is not kidding anyone with his quick fire interrogation of Martin Cullen because we the public know the real solution does not lie in a series of the same old catchy rhetorical questions fired out by the ageless Pat. No the problem lies with each individual who sits behind the drivers wheel it at that moment in time that each individual must ask him or herself this simple but essential question do I have an understanding and a belief in the meaning of the 3 R’s.
Respect for myself Respect for our Neighbour and Responsibility for our own actions.
Oh and one last point if Anthony drives like he writes would he please do us all a favour and give his keys to his minder Gavin.
Martin Cullan e voting that can be hacked junk voting machines storage = incompetance.
300 deaths on roads = carnage .
Sheep are sheep , crewser is crewser , dalkey is ? .