Councillor says 'sneakily' parked speed van targets Laois drivers in area with incorrect Google limit

A Laois Councillor says up to 50 residents have been given penalty points on a road in Laois where Google indicates an 80kph limit despite a reduction to 60kph earlier this year. 

Independent Cllr Aisling Moran said that she has received around 40 phone calls from mostly local people who had gotten penalty points and fines from Maganey to Tankardstown Barrowhouse where she said a speed van has been “sneakily” parked between two trailers.    

“40 or 50 people have been caught and been caught two or three times and all they are doing is going to work,” said Cllr Moran. 

She said the motorists were fined for doing less than 80kph along what they believed to be an 80kph zone and she believes the penalties should be quashed.  Cllr Moran said she was contacted because she mentioned the issue in a motion at the September meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

Her motion at the September meeting stated: “That Laois County Council provide new speed signage at junctions, so drivers are aware of the change in speed zones. As Google updates all maps and speed limits on cars, drivers are being told it's a different speed to the limit on the road”. 

“I have one lady who will be on 12 points,” said Cllr Moran.  She said the lady was a nurse and had been driving at 64kph on the way over to visit her sick father and 68kph on the way back.

“She is now going to be off the road. She is a nurse, she needs her car for her job,” said Cllr Moran. 

Cllr Moran likened the use of speed vans to clamping and said the idea of speed vans should be to improve safety and “go after the lads doing 120 or 130” not just for revenue collection. 

“What they did was sneakily parked it in between two trailers on the widest and straightest part of the road and I want an answer,” she said. 

Senior Executive Engineer, Tom Drennan said he would refer the matter back to road design to see if there was anything they could do. 

“It has now become a monetary thing. They are trying to catch people out. I thought the rule was if you putting up a speed van or a speed camera you have to have speed camera signs,” Cllr Moran said. 

She described it as “wrong” and “unfair” and said it was all local people who are doing under 80kph who are being caught. 

Director of Services, Julie Bergin, said while people may look at their maps on the car they really should adhere to the signage on the roadside. 

Cllr Moran said the road is “too big to be a 60km zone” and it would be the main road for anyone going from Barrowhouse to Knockbeg or Carlow. 

Mr Drennan said he couldn’t comment for Google but he said he would check to see what lines of communication there were with Google. He also said that if additional signs were needed that would be implemented. 

“It’s probably best to meet on site and look at the specific location,” said Mr Drennan. 

Cllr Moran said she wanted to make it clear that she wasn’t blaming Laois County Council. 

“These speed vans are now being used for revenue…They have caught everybody in the whole area and it is wrong what they are doing,” said Cllr Moran.  “This is something that needs to be brought up in the Dáil,” she added.

Fine Gael Cllr Vivienne Phelan said “I know the gardaí have a dedicated email that deals with queries in relation to the location of speed vans.” She said she would be happy to pass it on to Cllr Moran. 

Independent Cllr Aidan Mullins said that if there isn’t a sign indicating that the limit is 60kph that might amount to grounds for an appeal by the motorists who have been caught speeding. 

Cllr Moran said many of the people have paid the fines and some had been caught two and three times before the first fine arrived. She asked that the matter be looked at and she suggested the council should contact the gardaí in relation to it.

The issue was discussed during the latest meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.