Road Transport and Safety:

The overall objectives is to develop a public urban road network adequate to cater for the ever increasing volume of modern traffic and to provide the necessary infrastructure to support economic and social development, with due regard for the safety and amenity of all road users.
“Public Road” means a road over which a public right of way exists and the responsibility for the maintenance of which lies on a road authority.
Roads are classified, as follows:-

National Primary: Major long distance through route linking the principal ports and airports, cities and large towns.
National Secondary: Medium distance through routes connecting important towns and linking to the National primary routes.
Regional roads are the main feeder routes into, and provide the main links between national roads. Local roads include all rural and urban roads other than national or regional roads. Cobh Town Council has two broad functions in relation to roads:
the repair of existing urban roads the construction of new urban roads.

Public Lighting.
Declaration of or abandonment of public road and extinguishment of a public right of way.
Licences, permits etc.,
Certificate of Roads and Services.
Temporary closing or road races etc.
Loudspeaker Licence.

Road Act, 1993
Local Government (Roads and Drainage) Act, 1968
Road Traffic Act, 1961
Road Traffic Act, 1994
Road Government Act, 1946
Road Government Act, 1991
Local Authorities (Traffic Wardens) Act, 1975
Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendments) Regulations, 2000.
Public Lighting.
Declaration of,or abondonment of public road and extinguishment of a public right of way.
Licences, permits etc.,
Certificate of Roads and Services.
Temporary closing or road races etc.
Loudspeaker Licence.

Temporary Dwellings.
Dangerous structures, trees, etc.,
Unauthorised signs, caravans, vehicles.

Regional and Local Roads:

The Regional Road (R624) in Cobh is the responsibility of Cork County Council.

Cobh Town Council regards the maintenance and improvement of Non National Roads as a priority. In addition to the Annual Department of the Environment and Local Government discretionary grant allocation, the Council commits significant resources to maintenance and improvements works.
Following notification of the grant allocation by the Department of the Environment and Local Government, an annual programme of works is prepared.

In 1995, the Government approved a major ten year restoration programme for the Non National Roads. The improvement works under this programme involves surface dressing, surface restoration or road reconstruction.  In the case of maintenance works, particular attention must be given to the provision/restoration/maintenance of roadside drainage.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

As a road authority, Cobh Town Council is responsible for the provision and maintenance of public lighting.
The E.S.B. arranges the supply, installation and maintenance of public lighting on behalf of the Council. Faults should be reported directly to the local E.S.B. office. Quote your account number when reporting a fault.

Cork County Council as the Road Authority has prepared a multi annual programme for Non National Roads setting out medium term plans for the development of roads over a 5 year period 1996 - 2000.  The programme is concentrating on improvement works which preserve the investment in the existing roads infrastructure.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

The Council is responsible for declaring a road to be a public road.
Conversely it also can abandon a road i.e. it will no longer expend public monies on its maintenance.

Where a road is no longer in use, the Council may extinguish the public right to travel over same.

Cork County Council keeps a schedule and map of all public roads on behalf of Cobh Town Council for which it has responsibility. No composite map or schedule of the entire County is available but the County Council office at Glashaboy, Glanmire (Tel. 021 4866834) will deal with any queries relating to their area.

Road opening licence:
A person who wishes to open a public road or footpath for any purpose must obtain a road opening licence from the office of Cobh Town Council, Carrig House, Cobh.

A road authority has power to temporarily close public roads for road races or other events, to permit the carrying out of works, or for any other purpose.
The regulations relating to the temporary closing of roads require the publication of two notices:-
a notice of intention to temporarily close the road
a notice of the decision to temporarily close the road.
The notice of intention must allow for objections to be made in writing to the road authority within a specific period being not less than 3 days from the date of publication of the notice. The authority must consider any objections received and not withdrawn.

Where an individual or organisation wishes to apply to the Town Council to have a road temporarily closed, they must do so in writing no less than 21 days before the first date on which they wish the road to be closed.

The Council issues wayleave permission to public utilities (e.g. Eircom) as required for the provision of services to the public.

A licence is required for the erection of hoarding/scaffolding on a roadway or footpath.
Applications for a Licence for Advertising Signs can also be made at Cobh Town Council’s Office. The decision on the application is made by the Cobh Town Council’s technical staff.

Dangerous structures, trees etc.

There is an obligation on landowners and occupiers to ensure that roadside structures, trees, shrubs etc. do not become a danger to those using or working on a public road. A road authority can serve a written notice on a landowner or occupier requiring the carrying out of specified works within a period of time stated in the notice to ensure the safety of those using or working on a public road. A person on whom a notice has been served may appeal to the District Court against the notice within fourteen days. The road authority may carry out the work itself in a case where a person fails to comply with a notice and may recover the costs from the landowner/occupier. The road authority can also take action itself to deal with immediate and serious hazards where it is imperative that a danger be removed at once.

A road authority has power to remove unauthorised signs on public roads, also unauthorised caravans, vehicles, etc. used for advertising, the sale of goods or the provision of services on public roads. It must return to the owner any sign, caravan, vehicle etc. removed by it, but can seek to recoup any reasonable costs incurred by it. However, disposal by the road authority is permitted in certain circumstances.