Welsh Government legislation reducing 30mph speed limits to 20mph has become the single most divisive issue in Wales since devolution in 1999. We all agree that pedestrian safety is paramount and 20mph should be imposed outside schools and areas with high pedestrian footfall; however, having a blanket reduction creates two major problems.
Firstly, it doesn’t stop people driving at 30mph unless traffic calming measures are put in, such as speed bumps and chicanes, in fact, it has been shown that the average reduction in drivers' median speed fell by just 0.7 mph in residential areas and 0.9 mph in city centre areas where limits had been dropped.
Secondly, when conscientious drivers obey the 20mph speed limit, I fear that it can cause other drivers to become so frustrated that they end up either driving faster on other roads to make up for lost time, or, will cause them to make dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, which has the potential to make the roads less safe.
With the Senedd petition to revoke the blanket rollout of 20mph reaching over 450,000 signatories, it’s frustrating that the Welsh Government cannot see sense and are ignoring public opinion. It is also frustrating that the Welsh Labour Government are yet again not empowering communities to make decisions that are right for their community.
With implementation costs of over £32 million to introduce the rollout and the Welsh Government’s prediction that the reduction in the speed limit will cost the Welsh economy £4.5 billion, estimated to rise to as much as £8.9 billion over 30 years, questions must be answered as to why the Welsh Government thought this was a good policy and the best use of taxpayers money.
As I see it, the Welsh Government have an anti-driver mentality. 20mph default speed limits need to be reversed and the Welsh Government should refocus on improving road conditions to ensure an adequate road network for the future. At every opportunity, I will be raising the concerns of the public over default 20mph roads with the Welsh Labour Ministers responsible, to ensure they no longer ignore and hide from the views of the public.
ENDS
