Councillors have deferred a review of the city’s speed limits to the first meeting of the local authority in the New Year.

At a meeting of the local authority last week, the Chair of the Strategic Policy Committee for Transport, Cllr Frank Fahy (FG) was not available to attend due to personal reasons.

As a result, the Mayor proposed deferring their consideration of the review to January – securing the support of the majority of city councillors.

At a meeting in November, it was agreed that a 30km/h speed limit zone for the city centre would be put on hold while a full review of the limits could be carried out.

Following a commitment by Head of Transport at City Hall, Uinsinn Finn, that the full review could be before councillors within weeks, the draft proposals were due to be considered this week – ahead of going out for public consultation.

The Chairperson of Galway City Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Níall McNelis, last week confirmed to the City Tribune that the proposals from officials were ready to go.

“They will include a 30km/h city centre limit, and we have a defined area for that, but there are also some increases on roads like Bóthar na dTreabh and on the Oranmore Coast Road where the limits are too low.

“There have been some concerns about the 30km/h limit in the city, but we need to get on with it. They’ve done in in Dublin, Limerick and Cork and the sky didn’t fall in,” said Cllr McNelis.

Mayor Higgins proposal to defer the matter, seconded by her Fine Gael colleague Cllr Eddie Hoare, was supported by eight councillors in all and opposed by four.

The matter is now due to be considered at the Council’s first monthly meeting of 2023.