Dublin's 30km/h speed limit is to be extended further to a number of local roads from midnight tonight. 

The city already extended the "slow zone" to cover most areas between the canals at the end of March this year.

As part of the county council's second phase of speed limit restrictions, area such as: Sandymount, Crumlin, Drimnagh, Raheny, Artane, Cabra, Phibsborough, Coolock, Glasnevin and Drumcondra, and parts of neighbouring suburbs will be affected. 

After an 18-month review of traffic conditions throughout the city and suburbs, which drew 550 submissions from interest groups and the public, it was decided that further restrictions were needed.

Back in December, councilors approved plans for a radical expansion of the speed limit zone to almost all roads and streets as far as its boundary with the four other Dublin local authorities. 

A map released by the county council shows where the limits apply. The pink indicates the speed limit restrictions as of 2010, the yellow represents the expansion of those restrictions at the end of March and the light blue indicates the latest restrictions. 

Considerable opposition

A public consultation carried out as part of a review of the by-laws found considerable opposition among respondents. 

Out of the 550 responses the council recieved, 267 expressed concern that the new limits would be impractical or would cause increased congestion.

The AA meanwhile described the widespread application of the 30km/h limit as "absurd" and having the potential to undermine road safety. 

They said that the lower limits cover too wide an area and that when introduced on roads that are not suitable, it leads to motorists ignoring limits altogether.