Tories launch bid to change law on 20mph policy
Emily Price
The Welsh Conservatives have launched a bid to repeal Wales’ 20mph policy by changing the law.
Welsh Tory leader, Andrew RT Davies announced his Members Ballot on Thursday (April 18).
Any Senedd Member wishing to propose a Bill can apply to be included in a ballot which is held by the Presiding Officer.
To be eligible for the ballot, Members must table certain pre-ballot information, including the proposed title of the Bill and its policy objectives.
An MS who is successful in the ballot can then table a motion asking the Senedd to agree that they can introduce a Bill to give effect to the proposal included in the ballot.
If that motion is agreed, the Member has 13 months in which to formally introduce a Bill.
Once introduced, a Member Bill is subject to the same scrutiny process as other Bills.
The leader of the Tory Senedd group said: “I want to change the law and scrap Labour and Plaid’s 20mph speed limits. Labour’s talk of ‘reviewing’ the policy is a sham.
“The only way to sort this mess is to scrap it and focus on stopping speeding near sensitive sites like outside schools and hospitals.”
The Roads (20mph Repeal) (Wales) Bill proposes the following:
- Rescind the Welsh Government’s Restricted Roads (20mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022.
- Work with members of the public, communities, and local authorities across Wales to instead adopt a targeted approach when it comes to speed reduction measures.
- Invest and launch targeted public awareness campaigns to improve road safety such as tackling drink-driving, use of mobile phones whilst driving, and drug driving.
Voted down
It comes the day after a Tory Motion on transport which called for the controversial 20mph default speed limit to be scrapped was voted down in the Senedd.
Wales’ 20mph restriction was rolled out in September last year and saw most roads that were 30mph switch to 20mph – although councils have the discretion to make exemptions.
The policy has been unpopular with some and a record breaking Senedd petition calling for the default to be reversed racked up almost half a million signatures.
The Welsh Conservatives say the Welsh Government’s transport policies are “not fit for purpose”.
The Welsh Government says that cutting the limit to 20mph will protect lives and save the NHS in Wales £92m a year.
The recently appointed Transport Secretary Ken Skates suggested this week that the 20mph policy should be targeted at schools, hospitals and nurseries.
He said that ministers want to undertake a “national listening programme” on 20mph, engaging with businesses, communities and citizens across Wales.
The Cabinet Secretary is expected to make a statement on transport in Wales – including 20mph speed limits – next week.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Secretary has been clear that his immediate priority on 20mph is to listen.
“To support this, in the weeks ahead he will be engaging with elected representatives, businesses and communities across Wales.”
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Think tanks at Tufton St been busy then thinking this ruse up, this ARTD only hobby horse? Keep this in mind should the Cons ever get power, same applies there. What ARTD fails to mention is reversing this will cost, it seems a cost he is willing to inflict on Wales whilst decrying the cost to implement, a capable a leader would say let’s see how it goes then oppose it if it fails. But in playing to the gallery he diminishes the law and reduces adherence and this seems to be his aim, whilst he may not agree with… Read more »
Let’s look on the bright side. Labour are shooting themselves in the foot, and they will all be hopping around at the senedd elections as motorists trying to make a living and having to use cars to get to work will still be crawling along stuck in traffic far from the utopia that Labour is dreaming of and will think twice where they put that all important ‘X’ .
Has ARTD been caught for speeding, that would explain everything.
Isn’t it amazing that the Conservatives are perfectly happy to repeal anything that Labour have done. Yet UK Labour refuses to repeal / reverse anything that the UK Conservatives have done. Even those things that have failed – privatisation of public services, Brexit, or anything else.