Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies is “strongly against” Welsh Government proposals to make 20mph the ‘default speed limit in built-up areas' in Wales and is urging those who feel the same to sign his petition.
The Labour Welsh Government plans to change the default national speed limit on roads in built-up areas throughout Wales from 30mph to 20mph on 17th September 2023.
James is concerned that the changes would “damage the economy of North Wales” and said "there is no evidence they would improve road safety or reduce air pollution as promised”.
He has therefore launched a petition and is encouraging residents to sign it “to oppose the 20mph default limit, share any other ideas about road safety, and tell the Welsh Government to instead focus on real priorities, such as health and education”.
James, who has spoken out against the proposals as Wales Office Minister at the despatch box in the House Commons and at the Welsh Conservative Conference, said:.
“I am strongly against these proposals, which I think would be unworkable, unenforceable, costly and deeply unpopular.
“I believe there is still relatively poor awareness of the plans and that people will not feel that they have either been consulted, or given the plans their backing.”
He added:
“Roads across all parts of the United Kingdom are essentially subject to the same high standards of design, and our vehicles incorporate continually-improving driving aids and safety features. As a result, our roads are already some of the safest in the world and stand to become safer still through technological progress.
“I don’t dispute that there is a place for defined and realistically enforceable 20mph zones. However, I believe that these should be at specific locations where drivers might otherwise routinely travel at 30mph but pose unacceptable risks of collision – for instance, outside schools and hospitals.”
James has also warned that the prospect of different default national speed limits in England and Wales is “neither justifiable nor desirable, especially given the large volume of east-west cross-border traffic”.
He added:
“For the first time ever, this separatist speed limit policy, requiring new signage at the “national border”, would mean that the Highway Code would cease to apply to the whole of Great Britain equally.”
He has also expressed grave concern at the extortionate cost of implementing the new speed limit:
“The Welsh Government’s own figures suggest an implementation cost of their 20mph policy of £32.5m to cover publicity, new and replacement signage, and road marking alterations. This is a shocking figure in view of their frequent claim that they are “underfunded”.”
James is also concerned that travelling at a slower speed will increase congestion, and vehicle emissions and noise, and questioned its enforcement.
He pointed out that the likely failure of the 20mph policy has been demonstrated by unsuccessful trials in Buckley and elsewhere.
He said:
“The unpopularity of the proposals was also clear in the Welsh Government’s own consultation exercise over the plans (which it disregarded), where a clear majority was in opposition. A petition against the default 20mph limit on the Devolved Administration’s website was shut down prematurely earlier this month, following the large number of signatories registered.”
James has said that should the policy reach the stage of being implemented, the best opportunity to minimise the negative impact of it will be for local authorities to have designated “exceptions” – roads which should remain at 30mph and be signed accordingly.
He believes that many exceptions must be made, and is therefore concerned that Denbighshire County Council (DCC) only proposes six across the whole county at present, which he said “will in all certainty set up the policy to fail locally”.
He said:
“The ultimate responsibility for retaining a 30mph limit lies with the local authority, which can set exceptions where “they have a clear and reasoned case” (WG Guidance para 2.2.11). As of yet, Labour-led Denbighshire County Council has not held any consultation with the local public about exceptions to be made.
“A process whereby necessary exceptions should be put forward by local councillors, who may worry about being at risk of blame for future road traffic accidents on the roads concerned, is a recipe for non-objective decision-making where nobody takes the leadership required to ensure a sensible outcome.”
James has described the policy as “expensive, meddling and divisive” and said, “it comes at a time of cost-of-living pressures and when public services at the hands of Labour in Wales are under huge strain”.
If you too are against the proposals, please sign James’s petition which can be found on his website under the campaigns section: https://www.jamesdavies.org.uk/campaigns/labour-welsh-governments-unworkable-proposals-20mph-speed-limit
