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Noisy traffic survey
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The Government says that, in compliance with their obligations under Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Commission, it is initiating a traffic survey of some of our major roads.
In connection with this, traffic counters are currently being installed at a number of locations and these will systematically be moved from one location to the next.
The first counters are presently installed at Line Wall Road and Rosia Road and will remain in place for a period of around six weeks.
The above Directive has arisen because of the realisation that environmental noise, caused by traffic, industrial and recreational activities are one of the main environmental problems that affect human health in Europe. The noise management strategy which the directive advocates focuses on the development of criteria for maximum safe noise exposure, the policing of designated noise zones and the promotion of noise assessment and control as part of educational environmental health programmes.
The Directive defines environmental noise as ?unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic, and from sites of industrial activity such as those defined in Annex I to Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control?.
The main way in which the Directive aims to decrease unacceptable levels of environmental noise is through the use of noise mapping and subsequent action and mitigation plans.
"It is in connection with Noise Mapping that we are undertaking the traffic survey," the Government says.
The definition to be used for the classification of a major road is that set out in the directive (Article 3 Definitions) ?major road? shall mean a regional, national or international road, designated by the Member States, which has more than three million vehicle passages a year.
Winston Churchill Avenue has already been surveyed with Queensway, Devils Tower Road and Europa Road to follow.
Environment Minister Jaime Netto said, ?The survey will establish which of our roads the directive may apply to and to design compliance action, if required.?
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