New Transport secretary Louise Haigh has said she plans to support local authorities who want to introduce 20 mph speed limits – despite polls showing that 70% of people are opposed to the policy!
Ms Haigh dubbed the last government’s approach to 20 mph speed limits, cycle lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods “ridiculous”. The transport secretary said traffic speed limits are “entirely up for local areas to decide”.
“It was completely wrong for the previous government to say that they would dictate that from Whitehall,” she told Bloomberg. “There’s no way me, sitting in my office in the DfT, can say: ‘This road in Chester should be a 20 mile per hour road or not.’ It’s completely ridiculous.”
Ms Haigh’s support for further 20 mph zones comes despite a recent YouGov survey indicating that 70 per cent of people in Wales – which last year imposed a 20mph speed limit in built up areas – opposed the policy.
What’s the view from the driver and rider trainer side? Do we feel 20 mph zones are effective and should we see more of them?
