€2.75 million on unneeded signposts

CrazyRabbit · 27-07-2014 06:41AM #1

Almost 3 million to help tourists who didn't bring a SatNav? What an insane waste of money. How the hell can it cost almost €690 to make & install each sign?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0726/633298-wild-atlantic-way/

Just over €2.75m has been spent on sign posts for the Wild Atlantic Way.
Figures released to Nuacht reveal that the total cost of designing, manufacturing and installing the signage is €2,755,000.
Over 4,000 signs were installed along the route.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller · 27-07-2014 07:21AM

Money wasted on signs: reminds me of a similar debacle back in 2001, when Seamus Brennan, the then minister for transport, had 500 brand new road signs taken down after the city traffic manager had them put up. Seems it was customary for traffic managers to generally run such things past the minister for transport. Makes sense I suppose.

No doubt that traffic manager is now sweeping out buses in some depot for that little faux pas.

Oh wait...

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/brennan-wins-battle-of-the-signs-26039308.html

Aubrey loves Joe · 27-07-2014 07:22AM

Sign of the times

jellyboy · 27-07-2014 08:08AM

The wild atlantic way is off the beaten track in most places and as such never hardly gets visitors in the villages that the signage points to

money well spent ,as my relatives can now find where i live and stop for a coffee along the way (there worth it)

Sat nav is useless in rural areas ,trees blocking satellite,not knowing what town land is etc etc
your more likely to get lost than found

now go back to bed and stop stressing about it

wendell borton · 27-07-2014 08:18AM

Having tourists, or any one else for that matter, blindly following sat navs isn't a good idea.

Arthur Beesley · 27-07-2014 08:20AM

Better than spending it on free travel for junkies I suppose.

El Weirdo · 27-07-2014 08:22AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Almost 3 million to help tourists who didn't bring a SatNav? What an insane waste of money. How the hell can it cost almost €690 to make & install each sign?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0726/633298-wild-atlantic-way/

Wow, what an in-depth article RTÉ have there.

I actually thought you'd just quoted a small piece of it, but no. That's it.

expectationlost · 27-07-2014 09:09AM

wild atlantic way signposts, if actually in the atlantic you've gone too far

timetogo · 27-07-2014 09:18AM

I drove along the wild Atlantic way a few months ago.
A sat nav works fine on the route but it it doesn't tell you that youre on the tourist route.

I think the marketing for the route is a good thing and its bringing money into Ireland. I don't know how much but in the grand scheme of thing I'd imagine that 2.75 million will be more than worth it.

Speedsie · 27-07-2014 09:25AM

It has cost around €300,000 to set up Arthur's Way in Kildare. A journey of 25km.
I've seen a couple of sign posts, but not sure what the money has been spent on.
Certainly not marketing, as no one seems to have heard of it.

The Backwards Man · 27-07-2014 09:29AM

I've experienced the benefits of the WAW first hand. €2.5m is a bargain.

expectationlost · 27-07-2014 09:30AM

timetogo wrote: »

I drove along the wild Atlantic way a few months ago.
A sat nav works fine on the route but it it doesn't tell you that youre on the tourist route.

I think the marketing for the route is a good thing and its bringing money into Ireland. I don't know how much but in the grand scheme of thing I'd imagine that 2.75 million will be more than worth it.

why do you need to be told you are on a tourist route?

timetogo · 27-07-2014 09:31AM

expectationlost wrote: »

why do you need to be told you are on a tourist route?

Tourists generally like them ffs. Every country I've ever been to has them. Its handy if you're a tourist.

ch20 · 27-07-2014 09:45AM

I think this is money well invested.Road signs in Ireland are generally poor,especially in rural areas where signs are moved around in the wrong
direction.last week I even saw signpost for some town still in miles.

No Pants · 27-07-2014 09:49AM

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Seems it was customary for traffic managers to generally run such things past the minister for transport. Makes sense I suppose.

Seems like an unnecessary step in what should be a minor change process to me. As long as the same process and standards are followed, which probably didn't happen.

kneemos · 27-07-2014 10:02AM

Arthur Beesley wrote: »

Better than spending it on free travel for junkies I suppose.

Ohh he shoots,he scores.

kneemos · 27-07-2014 10:05AM

ch20 wrote: »

I think this is money well invested.Road signs in Ireland are generally poor,especially in rural areas where signs are moved around in the wrong
direction.last week I even saw signpost for some town still in miles.

That's if they're not hidden behind trees and bush's.

kippy · 27-07-2014 10:11AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Almost 3 million to help tourists who didn't bring a SatNav? What an insane waste of money. How the hell can it cost almost €690 to make & install each sign?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0726/633298-wild-atlantic-way/

Its a lot of money but was most likely a tendered project so it was probably the cheapest on offer. As for the need for them in the first place.....its more coherent, accurate and useful signs this country needs so no complaints here.
As for GPS....not everyone has one, rental of a car means an added extra cost and those with smartphones mightnt realise the ins and outs involved.

An outside the box piece of thinking might be for the relevant bodies involved to come up with a gps unit pre progged with all the waypoints of interest on this route and indeed the country in general and have them available to visitors for a deposit. This service could be run out of tourist offices, airports, ports etc. Would be way too joined up and progressive thinking for it ever to happen.

Badly Drunk Boy · 27-07-2014 10:57AM

kippy wrote: »

An outside the box piece of thinking might be for the relevant bodies involved to come up with a gps unit pre progged with all the waypoints of interest on this route and indeed the country in general and have them available to visitors for a deposit. This service could be run out of tourist offices, airports, ports etc. Would be way too joined up and progressive thinking for it ever to happen.

Or a phone app for this shouldn't be too hard to make.

Drakares · 27-07-2014 10:59AM

And this was a bad idea... why?

tomwaterford · 27-07-2014 11:07AM

Drakares wrote: »

And this was a bad idea... why?

not a bad idea.....but at e690 a sign....someone somewhere is fiddling money.....or else the government is getting fleeced and doesn't know it

this being Ireland and its general capacity for corruption...il let you make up your own mind on what is most probable:rolleyes:

muddypaws · 27-07-2014 11:10AM

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

No doubt that traffic manager is now sweeping out buses in some depot for that little faux pas.

Oh wait...

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/brennan-wins-battle-of-the-signs-26039308.html

I'm beginning to think you protest too much

No Pants · 27-07-2014 11:12AM

tomwaterford wrote: »

at e690 a sign....someone somewhere is fiddling money.....or else the government is getting fleeced and doesn't know it

How much should it cost to design, manufacture, distribute and install a roadsign?

Harry Palmr · 27-07-2014 11:14AM

Everyone knows that anything as provided by tender to the public sector/state comes with a 100% tariff!

tomwaterford · 27-07-2014 11:16AM

No Pants wrote: »

How much should it cost to design, manufacture, distribute and install a roadsign?

a lot less than e690 a piece :pac::pac::pac:

sure I bought an 8*4 sheet of the stuff for making signs off a crowd that makes signs for e40 (I did get it at around cost alright...know the manager;))
to put on top of an old workbench at home here

that would make at least 2 signs.....where is the other e670 going.....it stinks of corruption to me

runawaybishop · 27-07-2014 11:17AM

jellyboy wrote: »

The wild atlantic way is off the beaten track in most places and as such never hardly gets visitors in the villages that the signage points to

money well spent ,as my relatives can now find where i live and stop for a coffee along the way (there worth it)

Sat nav is useless in rural areas ,trees blocking satellite,not knowing what town land is etc etc
your more likely to get lost than found

now go back to bed and stop stressing about it

They'll need to spend another 2.75 million putting up signs that explain what the fook these signs are supposed to be.

No Pants · 27-07-2014 11:25AM

tomwaterford wrote: »

a lot less than e690 a piece :pac::pac::pac:

sure I bought an 8*4 sheet of the stuff for making signs off a crowd that makes signs for e40 (I did get it at around cost alright...know the manager;))
to put on top of an old workbench at home here

that would make at least 2 signs.....where is the other e670 going.....it stinks of corruption to me

I didn't realise it was that simple. So, to recap, you simply buy some sheet metal and it decides for itself what to write on itself, makes itself, transports itself to the correct location, digs itself a wee hole, installs a pole, adds some concrete and then pops itself on top.

Where can I get some of this magical metal?

kippy · 27-07-2014 11:25AM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

Or a phone app for this shouldn't be too hard to make.

Phone apps are all well and good so long as they work offline.

tomwaterford · 27-07-2014 11:32AM

No Pants wrote: »

I didn't realise it was that simple. So, to recap, you simply buy some sheet metal and it decides for itself what to write on itself, makes itself, transports itself to the correct location, digs itself a wee hole, installs a pole, adds some concrete and then pops itself on top.

Where can I get some of this magical metal?

well you get the metal at any steel distrubtors:rolleyes::rolleyes:

if you honesty think its good value the government are after getting and it has no level/hint of corruption...:pac::pac:
its like this...if it couldn't be done for at least half (and still plenty profit) ...I would be shocked...someone is codding someone.;)

the signs themselves are a good idea...its just the likes of this excessive fleecing really sticks in my troat

SEPT 23 1989 · 27-07-2014 11:35AM

I'm sure they are paying over the odds as usual but the signs are manufactured here. remember manufacturing we used to be very good at that ,giving real jobs to people paying tax rates suppliers etc not just some company name on a door in the IFSC using the country as a tax stroke

No Pants · 27-07-2014 11:45AM

tomwaterford wrote: »

well you get the metal at any steel distrubtors:rolleyes::rolleyes:

if you honesty think its good value the government are after getting and it has no level/hint of corruption...:pac::pac:
its like this...if it couldn't be done for at least half (and still plenty profit) ...I would be shocked...someone is codding someone.;)

the signs themselves are a good idea...its just the likes of this excessive fleecing really sticks in my troat

So, you get this magical metal at any sheet distributors and it doesn't need any working at all, yet it costs the same as regular metal. Why would anyone buy the regular stuff?

I don't know if it is good value or not. You think it isn't, based on you buying one sheet of metal and using it as a workbench top. I'd like a bit more detail on how you reached that conclusion.

€2.75 million on unneeded signposts

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