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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