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Minister admits changing Welsh roads back to 30mph could cost £5m

23 Apr 2024 2 minute read
Ken Skates

Reimplementing 30mph speed limits on Welsh roads could cost up to £5 million, the Welsh government has said.

Ken Skates, the Welsh transport minister, announced on Tuesday that the government in Cardiff Bay will be revising its guidance to councils on which roads can be exempted from the new lower 20mph speed limit.

The move could see councils able to return roads to their previous speed limits by the end of the year.

Mr Skates has admitted that the cost of revising roads back to their previous speeds could be up to £5 million.

This comes in addition to the roughly £34 million it cost to roll out making the default speed limit in built-up areas 20mph in September last year.

Mr Skates made the admission in an interview with LBC.

Heavily caveated

A Welsh government spokeswoman confirmed the figure is expected to be between £3-5 million, but stressed it was heavily caveated and depended on the number of roads that need to be changed back.

Mr Skates has promised to work jointly with local authorities to prepare the ground for changes, revising the guidance on which local roads can be exempted from the lower speed.

The revised guidance will be published in July, with councils expected to start detailed consultation on changes from September.


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Y Cymro
Y Cymro
7 months ago

Although an advocate for the speed limit to be reduced from 30 to 20 mph on roads in built up areas, near schools ect… for obvious personal reasons having two family members injured by speeding motorists when young, Welsh Labour’s cack-handed reactionist approach speaks volumes of a party that’s been in power for far too long and why the desperately need a change of Welsh Government in 2026. Another factor has been public discord, this mainly due to Wales antagonist Andrew RT Davies and his”Welsh” Conservatives who along with England’s PM Rishy Sunak’s Conservative idiocracy have been encouraging insurrection by… Read more »

Last edited 7 months ago by Y Cymro
Swn Y Mor
Swn Y Mor
7 months ago

17/4/2024, Nation Cymru article by Emily Price titled Museum petition calling for Welsh Government funding to be increased reaches over 10k signatures. Within we have the quote ‘Amgueddfa Cyrmu says it’s currently addressing a £3m reduction in its grant whilst incurring a year-on-year deficit of £1.5m’.

Any competent and functioning opposition parties would now be asking listener Skates, is it fair that money which could have been utilized for the benefit of Wales culturally is now potentially going to be used in a desperately, PR face saving exercise.

Rhddwen y Sais
Rhddwen y Sais
7 months ago

Cheap at half the price.

Pip
Pip
7 months ago

RT will be furious at the cost of this change, and will now be campaigning to keep the 20mph speed limit, no doubt.

Why vote
Why vote
7 months ago

5 million where is the other 30 million to change it all back, just not listening are they.

A Evans
A Evans
7 months ago

EITHER, the change back will be minimal ( ie. Only 4/33 will revert), OR he is intentionally ” underestimating” the cost to save face!

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