Galway County Council has been instructed to prepare for the introduction of lower speed limits in villages and towns across the county.

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has set a March 31 2027 deadline for the introduction of 30km/h speed limits on roads in built-up areas and urban areas.

Galway City already has a 30km/h speed limit zone, and now that’s due to be introduced in towns and villages in County Galway. It’s part of the Government road safety strategy to reduce deaths and serious injury on roads by 50% by 2030.

Earlier this year, in February, new speed limits on local roads – totalling around 5,300 kilometres in Galway – were reduced by 20km/h to 60km/h on February 8.

Only four roads in County Galway remained at 80km/h because they were deemed safe at the higher speeds.

The local authority has now been tasked with rolling out reduced speed limits in built up areas.

Minister O’Brien allocated €20m to local authorities across the country to implement the changes including buying and installing poles and signs.

Special bye-laws will have to be introduced by Galway County Council to enact these changes. They can only be implemented if County Councillors vote to approve new bye-laws.

“The Government’s Road Safety Strategy sets out to reduce speeds to safe, appropriate levels for the roads being used, and the people using them,” he said.

“We know that the risk of being killed or seriously injured is much greater when a car and a vulnerable road user collide at 50km/h, compared to the same type of collision at 30km/h.

“This is why protecting vulnerable road users is a key focus in setting speed limits,” Minister O’Brien added.

Pictured: Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.