Drivers claim 30 km/h Phoenix Park speed limit causes engine damage and ‘stalling’

Complaints from constituents about a reduced speed limit in the Phoenix Park causing vehicles to stall and drive at a pace they were not designed for were forwarded to the Office of Public Works (OPW) by Dublin West TDs Leo Varadkar and Jack Chambers.

In one letter forwarded from the office of Mr Chambers, the Government Chief Whip, a motorist said their car had cut out twice in the park because of the reduced 30km/h speed limits, which have become common in built-up areas of the capital.

“I can’t keep at that speed as my engine won’t allow me. This is creating very long tailbacks and if my car cuts out (which it did today two times) the person behind me will crash into me,” said the writer, who added that the former 50km/h limit needed to be restored “as my car literally can’t drive” at 30km/h without stalling.

In a message forwarded by Mr Varadkar’s constituency office, one concerned local said the 30km/h limit was putting a “lot of pressure on my engine” and that “cars were not built for that speed”.

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“There is no pleasure anymore driving through the park; it is like an obstacle course and in slow motion. I feel that the motorist is being attacked left right and centre with all these changes,” they said.

A flurry of correspondence was also sent from the constituency offices of local TDs to the OPW about the availability of parking for people visiting the park and Dublin Zoo during the Easter holidays. Some visitors complained that the introduction of dedicated cycle lanes on Chesterfield Avenue was having a negative impact for those visiting.

One person said that on two recent visits to the Phoenix Park they ended up turning around and going home because they could not find parking.

Another email sent on by the Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader’s office stated: “As a member of FG in Castleknock, [I] cannot understand how the local FG-elected representatives for the Castleknock area would let this ridiculous situation to have developed.”

In internal emails, OPW officials warned that parking availability would likely remain a problem over the summer months. They also said motorists would park illegally throughout the park no matter how many warning signs the OPW put in place. In another exchange, the OPW said staff members might be better to avoid talking about the “emotive issue” of parking on broadcast media.

A spokeswoman for the OPW said recent changes in the Phoenix Park had made it a significantly safer space for pedestrian and cyclists.

“Within 1km of Dublin Zoo there are around 900 car parking spaces for all visitors to the park…there are over 2,000 car parking spaces within the Phoenix Park, including Farmleigh House,” she said, adding that consultants had been appointed to develop a parking strategy for the park.

She said the 30km/h limit had led to a significant reduction in speeds and a “noticeable change in driver behaviour” in what was a national heritage site. It had also resulted in reduced noise and air pollution and lower carbon dioxide emissions.