A view from Sam Rowlands – Welsh Conservative North Wales Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited the four North Wales Members of the Senedd to write a monthly column with updates on their work. You can find their updates – along with contributions from the Wrexham and Clwyd South MPs and MSs – here. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In this month’s column, Welsh Conservative MS Sam Rowlands writes: ‌

September 2023. The time has come for the Welsh Government’s default 20mph speed limit.

This will apply to ‘restricted roads’ across the whole of Wales. Where the limit may have been 30mph for you, it will now be a ponderous 20mph.

This is a policy cooked up by Cardiff Labour with scant regard for the rest of Wales. I would say it’s fairly common sense to endorse this speed limit in specific places such as outside schools, but it should be limited to clear and obvious locations such as that instead of being imposed en masse.

Labour have never really understood North Wales. Life is different from Cardiff. It’s not always easy to hop on a bus or train, and cars are a much more significant part of life up here.

The numbers are clear that not only will this measure slow Wales down, it will have a huge negative impact on the economy. Welsh Government’s own figures show it will cost the economy a staggering £4.5 billion! To be fair, Labour in Wales have never been bothered about supporting business or the economy before, so why expect them to care now? They are hostile to business and the private sector, instead desperately attempting to appease environmentalists based in London.

A recent article by Professor Stuart Cole, CBE, Emeritus Professor of Transport Economics and Policy at the University of South Wales, outlined more of the issues with this new blanket 20mph limit.

For example, he wrote about the impact on bus travel, with buses operating less efficiently by running at lower speeds – increasing travel times for passengers, and also posing issues with payment for the increased hours for drivers.

Why should a person getting the bus to work be punished with a longer commute? Public transport is bad enough as it is, but thanks to Labour you’ll be paying for an even slower journey.

Professor Cole also pointed to issues with van and driver productivity – delivery drivers will take longer to make their deliveries with these new limits, which will lead to increased distribution costs and then the potential for companies to then increase product prices to the consumer as a result.

The one argument used by proponents of the blanket limit is safety – but when you look at the facts, 20mph doesn’t actually achieve what they say it does. A study from last November by Queen’s University Belfast, Edinburgh University, and the University of Cambridge found that reducing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph actually has “little impact” on road safety.

The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health said: “our findings showed that a city centre 20mph intervention had little impact on long-term outcomes including road traffic collisions, casualties and speed”.

So, if it doesn’t really make people safer, what is the point of blanket 20mph? It’s all part of Labour’s anti-car, extreme environmentalist agenda. It is pure political ideology that puts the people of Wales last, but makes Labour politicians in Cardiff feel good about themselves.

They are sending signals that Wales is closed for business. It’s harder to imagine businesses investing in Wales now. Not only have Labour stopped roadbuilding, they’re slowing drivers down and imposing the highest business rates in Great Britain. Not particularly appealing if you are looking for a place to invest and create jobs – not to mention the sky high NHS waiting lists and poor educational outcomes.

Make no mistake – this is a bad policy which will impact on the lives of everyone across Wrexham and the whole of Wales. Even as they are rolling it out, I call on the Welsh Government to see sense and ditch this damaging policy.

If you have any queries or issues, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact me by emailing [email protected] or calling on 0300 200 7267. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​