SLOWEST ROADS IN EUROPE!
20mph speed limit planned for every town and city across Scotland Business chiefs warn £5m Green scheme will be disaster for economy
SCOTLAND’S roads are set to become the slowest in Europe under a £5 million plan to impose lower speed limits throughout the country.
A draft law which would make 20mph the nation’s ‘default speed limit’ is set to be launched at Holyrood within weeks.
The legislation would see drivers forced to slow down in every village, town and city.
Although some Scottish councils and some other countries have already set 20mph limits – or a 30kph equivalent – in certain places, those behind the latest plan want Scotland to become a ‘world leader’ by introducing the slowdown nationwide.
The Bill will be launched by Green MSP Mark Ruskell and is expected to have enough cross-party support, including from the SNP, to be passed at the Scottish parliament.
The Scottish Government backs 20mph and is keeping an ‘open mind’ about a nationwide approach. However, Scots Tories warned a blanket 20mph limit is unnecessary, while hauliers fear it will damage business, further harming the fragile economy.
Mr Ruskell has held talks with council transport chiefs and, if the Bill is passed, expects local authorities to be given 18 months to erect signs, before bringing the legislation into force.
The campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us
From Page One that signs and a Scotlandwide publicity campaign would cost taxpayers £5 million. However, it insists this cost would be dwarfed by the amount saved from the reduction in casualties.
Mr Ruskell, who wants to see the kind of publicity campaign that heralded the smoking ban, warned against drink-driving and urged people to wear seat belts.
‘There are benefits to a national campaign,’ he said. ‘The case for 20mph has been won. The benefits of speed reduction are well understood and supported now by the World Health Organisation and OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development].’
Mr Ruskell hopes to introduce legislation at Holyrood before the summer recess.
It means drivers may be forced to slow down in late 2020 or 2021. The Bill would see 20mph set as the national default speed limit on all residential and shopping streets. Councils would be able to keep certain roads at 30mph, but would need to make a case for doing so.
Drivers caught breaking the lower limit would face the same £100 fine and three penalty points on their licence that speeders currently receive.
Mr Ruskell insists Scotland needs a culture change to recognise the risk posed by driving at 30mph. He said: ‘There’s a consequence of higher speed – increased casualties and deaths. Every 1mph you reduce cuts the accident rate by 4 to 6 per cent.
‘We would be the first country to introduce a default 20mph limit. We would be world leaders.’
Rod King, spokesman for 20’s Plenty for Us, said: ‘After Bristol implemented 20mph limits, the University of the West of England estimated a reduction of four fatalities, 11 serious and 159 slight injuestimates ries a year. With a national roll-out with enforcement and the consistency of knowing 20 is plenty except in certain places Scotland can expect similar benefits.’ However, the plan faces opposition from motorist groups, businesses and the Scottish Tories. Jamie Greene, Scottish Conservative transport spokesman, said: ‘The blanket approach has proven to be difficult to enforce and adherence is low.
‘Slowing down traffic to unreasonable levels might increase pollution, driver frustration and dilute the positive effect that current 20mph zones have on safety. This would be also hugely unpopular with drivers and businesses, and effectively make Scotland’s roads the slowest in the world.’
A Road Haulage Association spokesman said: ‘If lower speed limits slow down journey times for lorries, that will have cost implications for hauliers which will be passed to other businesses in the supply chain, then the consumer.’
David Watt, executive director of the Institute of Directors, Scotland, fears the economic cost will be felt even wider. He said: ‘I’m concerned about the impact it will have on business and the economy, in terms of slowing everything down. I am certain the economic impact research has not been done.’
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: ‘Blanket speed limits don’t work. If you want to change driver behaviour you need to spend more and change the character of the road.’
Police Scotland declined to be drawn on the merits of the policy, but said they would enforce 20mph zones in the same way they do
‘We would be world leaders’ ‘Concerned about the impact on business’
higher speed limits. Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said: ‘Inappropriate speed is a factor in many road deaths.’
Forcing petrol drivers to spend longer on the road, potentially in a lower gear, could increase harmful emissions but Mr Ruskell insists that, overall, the policy would be good for the environment.
He said: ‘I’ve seen studies with diesels that show a substantial reduction in emissions. With petrol cars you get a slight increase, but because the bulk of emissions come from diesels, overall you get a reduction.’
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: ‘Given the varied nature of our urban road network and factors which need to be considered when setting limits, decisions on speed limits are best taken at local authority level. But the Transport Minister will keep an open mind.’