Politicians in England have been warned about the consequences of following Wales’ lead and rolling out widespread 20mph speed limits by the country’s former Shadow Transport Minister.
Natasha Asghar MS has written to the UK Parliament’s Transport Committee setting out her concerns ahead of its meeting to discuss potentially making 20mph the default speed limit in England.
The Welsh Conservative politician, who served as Shadow Minister for Transport from 2021 until 2024, spearheaded the campaign against the controversial 20mph speed limit policy.
She is now urging members of the Transport Committee to proceed with “extreme caution” if they are minded to follow in Wales’ footsteps when it comes to 20mph.
In her letter to the Committee, Natasha Asghar MS said:
“While you will undoubtedly hear evidence highlighting its perceived benefits, I believe it is equally important that you hear from those of us who have witnessed first-hand the significant public opposition and unintended consequences.
“The Welsh Government's default 20mph policy has, in my view, been one of the most controversial transport policies introduced in recent years. It was implemented with inadequate public engagement, and very little information was provided to motorists before its rollout.
“The result was widespread confusion, frustration and a record-breaking public petition calling for the policy to be reversed.
“The economic impact has also been considerable, with Welsh Government's own figures stating it will cost the Welsh economy around £8 billion. The policy itself cost approximately £33 million to introduce, and a further £5 million has already been spent on reversing elements of the scheme.”
The letter added:
“I have been contacted by countless constituents from every corner of Wales and professionals whose daily work has been adversely affected.
“Retained firefighters have told me the lower speed limits make it more difficult to reach stations and emergencies promptly. District nurses have explained that longer journey times reduce the number of patients they are able to visit each day. Taxi drivers have reported significant impacts on their livelihoods, while major retailers carrying out home deliveries, have also experienced serious operational difficulties.
“Targeted 20mph limits outside schools, hospitals, high streets, and other locations where road users are concentrated are generally well understood and widely accepted.
“However, imposing default 20mph speed limits across communities, as happened in Wales, is likely to provoke significant public opposition and fury.
“In my view, the Welsh experience should serve as a warning of the risks associated with introducing a one size fits all approach without broad public consent.”
Commenting ahead of the Transport Committee’s meeting, the Newport and Islwyn MS said:
“The heavy-handed 20mph speed limit policy introduced by the previous Labour Welsh Government sparked a huge wave of public uproar because it simply did not make sense.
“Reduced speed limits absolutely have their place around high footfall areas, but many of the roads targeted by this policy were inappropriate for 20mph, and the lack of communication from the Welsh Government was astounding.
“Not only that, but the draconian policy has had a real impact on people’s livelihoods and is expected to deliver a massive dent to our economy to the tune of nearly £9bn according to the government’s own stats.
“With England looking at taking a similar approach to Wales when it comes to 20mph speed limits, it is vital that politicians across the border thoroughly examine the consequences of such a move. “
