Local council wants residents thoughts on 20mph road changes

Local TV

After all the controversy, the dust has settled on the 20mph policy, and changes are actively being made around the country to change some roads back to 30mph. Last year, the Welsh Government gave local authorities more powers and flexibility to revert some roads back, and RCT want the public to have their say on which roads - if any - should change.

Transcript

00:00The rollout of Wales' default 21-hour speed limit has been one of the most controversial

00:06policy changes in recent years, sparking mass debate online, protests and even setting the

00:11record for the biggest Senate petition ever in the country, with as many as 400,000 people

00:16signing it airing their frustrations.

00:19In recent weeks though, figures have shown that in fact lives have been saved by the

00:23policy since its implementation, but many are still calling for more flexibility on

00:29which roads are 20 and which are 30.

00:32Last year, after a period of listening, the Welsh Government has made changes to give councils

00:37more flexibility.

00:38Revised guidance introduced last year allows local authorities to review roads and decide

00:43whether some should return to 30mph.

00:46And that's what's now happening in Rhondda Cynantaf.

00:49A public consultation is underway on proposals to switch 26 roads back to 30mph.

00:54If approved, they would join the 84 locations that were already exempt when the national

00:58limit came into force in September 2023, meaning up to 110 roads in RCT could be set at 30mph.

01:06Rhondda Cynantaf Council says it believes the national 20mph policy is largely achieving its

01:11goal of making communities safer for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, but added its right

01:17to look again whether new guidance suggests higher limits might be more appropriate.

01:23The consultation will be open until mid-October, with the Council saying they want to take

01:27this opportunity to get it right, hoping for a longer-term solution to the 20mph problem.

01:32Any agreed changes will need formal approval and traffic regulation orders before being introduced,

01:38with implementation expected before the end of the next financial year.

01:41James Peach Watkins, reporting for Local TV.

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