In Cardiff Bay, protests emerged against two contentious issues: the war in Gaza and the Welsh government's newly enforced 20mph speed limit in urban areas. Implemented in September 2023, this limit reduced the prior 30mph cap on 35% of roads, costing £34 million. While a GoSafe study noted increased journey times, road collisions fell by 19% in 2024, resulting in fewer deaths and injuries. Despite these benefits, public response has been overwhelmingly negative, highlighted by protests and a record petition against the policy. Former first minister Mark Drakeford expressed surprise at the unrest surrounding the change.
The reduced speed limit applied to any built-up area, defined as roads where lamp-posts were no more than about 180 metres apart.
Collisions along roads that have changed from 30mph to 20mph decreased by 19% in 2024 compared with 2023.
Phil Jones, who chaired the Welsh government taskforce on establishing 20mph default, stated that the policy was working exactly as intended.
The backlash included protests, defacing and knocking down new speed limit signs, and a petition signed by nearly half a million people opposing the policy.
Collection
[
|
...
]