01 Mar 2011 22:42: In addition to the reduction in the speed limit from 120 kph to 110 kph (I wonder if anyone thought that they only need to paste a "1" over the "2" on the signs?)...
The Spanish Government has announced that from 7th March, the maximum speed limit on motorways will be reduced from 120 kph to 110 kph. It is a measure designed to conserve fuel in response to the situation in North Africa and, particularly, in Libya. At the same time, the Government is subsidising RENFE to cover a 5% reduction in middle and long distance train fares to encourage people to switch from road to rail travel. This is a temporary measure and loads of "110" stickers are being printed to stick on 120 signs overnight on the night of 6/7 March.
As well as cutting motorway speed limits to 110 kilometres per hour, the Dirección General de Tráfico has confirmed it will reduce limits on single carriageway roads to 30 kilometres per hour in towns. Only a few connecting roads with no buildings on them will see higher speed limits – at 50 kilometres per hour.
This will mean that most drivers in manual cars will spend the majority of their lives in first or second gear around town!
There are supposedly 140,000 speed signs that will need to be altered.... can you really see that being done all in one night? And the chaos of having all these motorway signs and people scurrying from one side to the other? best ban all overnight traffic on every road except for highways and emergency vehicles!! Somehow I have visions of all these stickers peeling off in the first rain storm and people then claiming either the linit was restored or it is invalid if the higher speed is shown!!
Spain is starting to be as silly as the UK, where the Deputy PM "forgot" he was in charge; the Prime Minister was on an arms sales drive (in the Middle East!!); our Foreign and Commonwealth Office were so on the ball that they announced Gaddafi had fled; that it was "too dangerous" for our warship (on the way to be scrapped!) to dock in Libya (perhaps the poor sailors were frightened their iPods might be confiscated?) and that the rescue flight that had been chartered wasn't servicable!! By that time, practically every other Nationality had got it's citizens out!!
So, watch your speed now, 130 kph coming through France then s l o w d o w n to 110!!!
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