Newslink July 01-40

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“Tory MS Natasha Asghar MS
described the blanket change
from 30mph to 20mph as
“highly damaging” and called
for a “targeted approach” ...
Conservative MS Sam
Rowlands said that 90% of
residents in Buckley thought
the trial was a ‘failure’ ”
The Senedd
implemented.
Fellow Labour MS Lee Waters said the ban
was not a “blanket ban” as was initially the
case in the pilot, and opposition members
saying this was be the case were being
“deliberately misleading”
“Highway authorities can make exceptions
if they have a clear case”, he said addressing
concerns about the authorities making
exceptions to rules. “The evidence on road
safety is unarguable; evidence shows
someone is five times more likely to be killed
if hit by a car travelling at 20mph than at
30mph.”
Disappointingly, none of the members of
the Senedd appeared to consider the impact
this legislation will have on learning to drive,
or on the driving test.
While ADIs in urban areas such as Cardiff,
Swansea or Newport should be able to
organise lesson plans to accommodate
‘faster’ roads at some point during a lesson,
the tighter time constraints of the L-test
(around 45 minutes in total, of which 31-38
minutes are spent driving) might make it
impossible for an examiner to do so.
The DVSA currently remains tightlipped on
its view of the policy. A spokesman told
Newslink: “Driving test centre and routes are
kept under constant review to make sure
driving tests continue to test the ability of
candidates to drive safely and independently.”
However, the DVSA has admitted
previously that the policy could present
significant problems for its driving test
infrastructure. Speaking to the MSA GB
conference in March, Peter Hearn said: “In
built-up places such as Cardiff this would
mean that nearly all driving tests would take
place at no more than 20mph, which would
clearly be wrong.”
He added that: “If this is implemented as it
stands, we will need to look at whether we
need to move all urban DTCs in Wales to
outside towns and cities.”
No such move has been announced so far,
so we can assume the DVSA is waiting to see
if there are any further developments to the
legislation before making wholesale changes
to Wales’s DTC estate. The comments by Lee
Waters, who previously held cabinet roles
that included oversight of transport,
suggesting “exceptions can be made if there
is a clear case”, does offer a way out of what
could be a highy political problem.
Supporters of the plan outside the Senedd
said introducing more 20mph zones should
be applauded. The founder of 20s Plenty for
Us, Rod King, says he “confidently expects
the national 20mph limit will proceed as
planned.”
He said: “The legislation for the national
20mph limit was passed nearly a year ago.
The changes will take place on September 17
and already local authorities have done a
large part of the work associated with
changing signs and setting exceptions where
appropriate.”
He added: “The plans for a national 20mph
default were subject to a democratic debate,
starting in 2018. After wide consultation with
stakeholders, local authorities and Welsh
Assembly members, the 20mph Task Force
“In built-up areas such as
Cardiff this legislation could
mean that nearly all driving
tests would take place at no
more than 20mph... this
would clearly be wrong...”
Report received cross-party support in 2020
and majority support in 2022. It has also been
approved by the UK Secretary of State.
“With regard to this petition, we know from
repeated UK surveys that 20mph limits gain
majority support, yet are opposed by about
14% of those surveyed. That 22,000 people
have signed a petition – which amounts to
just 1.4% of the 1.6 million Welsh drivers – is
neither surprising nor significant.
“We confidently expect Senedd to
recognise that full and appropriate democratic
process has been followed and that the
national 20mph limit will proceed as planned. It
will lead a transformative change in Welsh
communities and the foundation for enhanced
active travel, liveability and public health.”
Research conducted by the Transport
Research Institute (TRI) at Edinburgh Napier
University, in conjunction with Public Health
Wales, estimates the default 20mph speed
limit will save around £100 million in the first
year.
The estimated cost saving is the result of
fewer deaths and injuries – with predictions
that the lower limit will save more than 100
lives over a decade and 14,000 casualties in
total.
Meanwhile, a new independent public
attitude survey, conducted by Beaufort
Research on behalf of the Welsh
Government, shows the majority of
respondents support a new lower speed limit.
Almost two-thirds of people surveyed said
they would support a 20mph speed limit
where they lived and 62% said they wanted
everyone to slow down on the roads.
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