Recent news on Irish conversion.... Nat
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=584883 Republic to go metric on road signs next year 20 November 2004 TENS of thousands of new metric speed limit signs are to be erected across the Republic early next year, replacing what the AA yesterday described as the "perverse" existing system. At present, distances are measures in kilometres but speed limits as miles-per-hour, but from late January both will be metric. A total of 58,000 new speed limit signs are to be erected on 98,000 metres of road during a three-day period ending on January 20, Transport Minister Martin Cullen told the Dail yesterday. The 10million euro cost of the new signs will include a 1million euro public awareness campaign. The new speed limits will be 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) in built-up areas; 80 kmh (50 mph) for regional and local roads outside built-up areas, 100kmh (62mph) for major roads and 120 kmh (75 mph) on motorways. AA spokesman Conor Faughnan said the change was long overdue. He said it did not make sense to have a bizarre system whereby road distances are measured in kilometres and speed limits in mph. "It must have seemed perverse to visitors," he commented. He said, however, that the AA is concerned that some roads which had incorrect existing speed limits could have them rounded up or down to the closest kilometres per hour limit. The AA had given the Department of Transport a list of about 70 signs which it felt were unsuitable. "The erection of 58,000 signs is quite a significant undertaking, but I have been assured that they will be put in place by January 20, when the new metric system will be initiated," he said. A simple conversion table for drivers will be distributed to every home and the Society of the Irish Motor Industry had ensured the vast majority of new vehicles coming in from 2005 would have speedometers which were metric only or predominantly metric.
