Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has given the green light to expanding 20mph speed zones and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, with a promise of fresh funding in the upcoming Labour Budget. The Mail has the story.
In comments set to irk drivers, Louise Haigh said she would allow local areas to decide whether to install what critics dub ‘anti-motorist’ measures.
She said she wanted to “end the culture wars” over transport policy, and hoped “unprecedented” levels of financial backing for active travel would be announced in the Budget.
Low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), which include pop-up cycle lanes, wider pavements and closing streets to cars, have been hailed as a success by many councils.
But they have divided communities – with critics saying they are often imposed with little consultation and push traffic elsewhere, worsening tailbacks and increasing pollution.
In some places, their introduction has sparked violence – with vigilantes dismantling them. …
In Labour-run Wales, ministers last year imposed a blanket 20mph limit on “restricted roads” – which are 30mph by default in England – affecting 7,700 miles.
But a poll this week found seven in ten (72%) of people opposed them.
The YouGov survey found only a quarter support the policy, and four in ten drivers admitted to exceeding the limit “most” or “all the time”.
The Tories had pledged to end the war on motorists – with plans to stop over-zealous councils from unfairly hitting drivers with a growing array of fines.
They also said last autumn that they would change Government guidance so town halls would have to “properly listen” to local opposition to LTNs.
But Ms. Haigh told Bloomberg that traffic speed limits would now be “entirely up for local areas to decide”. …
She said if local authorities want to adopt 20mph speed limits then “that’s got my support”.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: According to Wales Online, seven out of 10 people in Wales oppose the default 20mph speed limit, with four in ten drivers saying they regularly break it.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.